Power Station

  Do we stop to think, when enjoying a meal at a favorite restaurant, about what is happening in the back of the house? While servers and bartenders are working hard, their counterparts, dishwashers, food runners and bus boys, face far greater challenges. In Washington DC, less visible workers receive hourly pay as low as $3.89 and depend on tips distributed by “the house” to make minimum wage. But tips are not always shared, just one form of wage theft in the industry. These workers, primarily women, and often undocumented immigrants, are vulnerable to exploitation. Restaurant Opportunities Center DC is disrupting unjust practices by this powerful sector through organizing and advocacy. ROC teaches workers about their rights, trains them in the skills needed for higher-paid positions and advocates for policies that empower them. On this episode of Power Station, ROC organizers Miguel Castro Luna and Norma Vasquez share that for undocumented workers without access to federal funds, the pandemic is not over. M