MEDIA

ADVISORY For Sunday, June 26th, 201

CONTACT: Jose Oliva, jose@rocunited.org, (773) 612-2559 Bonnie Kwon, bonnie@rocunited.org, (415) 730-7495

*** MEDIA ADVISORY***

RESTAURANT WORKERS CONDUCT ACTIONS AT THE TASTE OF CHICAGO

Over one hundred restaurant workers from across the country will gather for a Restaurant Worker Flashmob Dance & Olympics at the Taste of Chicago, highlighting the historically-low federal minimum wage for tipped workers of $2.13.
WHO: WHAT: Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) will lead over one hundred restaurant workers in a two-part action to draw attention to the federal minimum wage for tipped workers, stuck at $2.13 for the last 20 years. Over one hundred restaurant workers wearing chefs hats and aprons will perform a flashmob dance at the Taste of Chicago food festival. Many will then compete in the National Restaurant Worker Olympics featuring restaurant workers competing through a busser maze and cupcake-decorating event with celebrity judges Join celebrity judges: Laura Washington, Columnist, Chicago Sun-Times and Political Analyst, ABC 7Chicago Achy Obejas, renowned author and writer, her latest novel is Ruins Seneca Kern, Co-Founder, We Farm America Teresa Ging, Owner, Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique Kari Lydersen, Columbia College and independent journalist.

WHEN:

Sunday, June 26th, 2011 4 PM Restaurant Worker Flashmob Dance 5-7 PM National Restaurant Worker Olympics Dance- Taste of Chicago Olympics- Pritzer Park (corner of Van Buren and State St.) 1

WHERE:

WHY:

Restaurant worker will perform a Restaurant Workers flashmob dance and the National Restaurant Worker Olympics to urge support for the WAGES ACT (H.R. 631), federal legislation that would raise the minimum wage for tipped workers to 70% of the regular minimum wage. Although Congress has raised the minimum wage for all other workers in recent years, the minimum wage for tipped workers has been frozen at $2.13 for the last 20 years. Today, $2.13 is worth 64% of its value of 20 years ago. The erosion of tipped minimum wage for tipped restaurant workers, including waiters, waitresses, bussers, and other tipped workers, has propelled devastating numbers of restaurant workers into poverty. For instance, waiters and waitresses suffer at three times the poverty rate of that of the rest of the American workforce.

ABOUT RESTAURANT OPPORTUNITIES CENTERS UNITED: Founded after September, 11 , 2001 by restaurant workers displaced from the World Trade Center, the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) seeks to improve wages and working conditions for the nations low-wage restaurant workforce. ROC-United is the only national restaurant workers organization in the United States. Despite having more than 10 million restaurant workers and an economic impact of $1.7 annually, the restaurant industry is less than 1% unionized nationwide. Until ROC-Uniteds growth and development, the lack of organization left millions of restaurant workers vulnerable to abuse and exploitation around the country. Through participatory research and policy work, employer engagement, workplace justice campaigns, membership and leadership development, and more, ROC-United has become a powerful national vehicle for restaurant workers to lift their collective voice on issues affecting all low-wage workers, including the minimum wage, paid sick days, compliance with basic employment standards, and lack of health care. For more information about ROC-United, please visit www.rocunited.org.
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