Waiters rally for higher wages on restaurants' busiest day
Monday - 2/14/2011, 8:38am ET
WASHINGTON - On a day when nearly one third of Americans dine out, groups in support of restaurant workers plan to rally against what they believe are low wages and insufficient benefits.
Restaurant Opportunities Centers United has called for a national day of action on Valentine's Day, largely considered the busiest day of the year for restaurants.
Three reports released Sunday survey the District, Los Angeles and Miami offering insight into the conditions workers face and providing fodder for those demanding changes.
"About 13 percent of the jobs are living-wage jobs," said Bonnie Kwon, a coordinator at the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Washington. "The majority of jobs are low-wage jobs with very low benefits."
The report, "Behind the Kitchen Door: Inequality & Opportunity in Washington, D.C.'s Thriving Restaurant Industry," finds restaurant workers on average made $22,818 in 2009. Nearly 90 percent of restaurant workers reported their employers do not offer health insurance.
But the specific target among those planning rallies is the minimum wage figure for tipped workers. For the past 20 years it has remained at $2.13 per hour.
"You're talking about workers who can't afford the growing costs associated with all living," said Kwon.
Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., plans to push for an increase in the minimum wage, raising it first to $3.75 per hour and eventually to $5.50 per hour. Edwards introduced a similar bill in 2009, but it never came to a vote.
(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
