Coalition Releases New Report Highlighting Low Wages, Discrimination, Health Risks, and Opportunity for Improvement in DC’s Growing Restaurant Industry
The DC restaurant scene has received increasing praise in national food circles due to innovative restaurants opening weekly (even through the recession) and a growing cadre of local celebrity chefs. Unfortunately, most restaurant employers have not shared this love with their workers. Gender discrimination remains pervasive and tends to affect minority workers at a higher rate.
A new report from the DC Restaurant Industry Coalition (which includes Women’s Foundation Grantee Partners Restaurant Opportunities Center of DC and the DC Employment Justice Center, as well as DC Jobs with Justice, ) takes a look at the wages and working conditions of DC restaurant workers. It was released on Valentine’s Day at a breakfast summit at Eatonville Restaurant. The report, based on a study of nearly 600 restaurant workers and employers, was completed by the Coalition last year. It illustrates the pervasive low wages and discrimination in the mostly non-unionized restaurant industry. The report also highlights the success of responsible employers, and suggests policy improvements to increase the health of the industry for everyone involved.
At the February 14th summit, D.C. hostess Katherine Jiménez described the gender segregation in hiring practices. “They like young girls to be in the front…. The position traditionally for females is greeter, people who take care of the reservations…. I know some men who have applied for this position, because they like working with people and doing something other than working in the back of the house or being servers. [Management] would accept the application but not hire the person. There [are] no male greeters.” On the other hand servers, one of the highest paid positions in the restaurant, “[of about] 30 servers, three are female; it is very male-dominated.”
After accepting the hostess position, Jiménez was informed that during the 6-8 hour shift, she “must wear high heels [of] a specific style and height…. [In the job description, this detail] wasn’t there.” She addressed with management the discomfort of this uniform requirement and the fact that it is a sexist practice. The manager told her: “I don’t think it’s sexist, because if you were a man you wouldn’t have this job.”
Gender discrimination was also a part of the promotion opportunities and professional development policies of the restaurant. Jiménez requested more training in order to learn more about wine and menu knowledge and in the hopes of being promoted to a server. “I asked [the manager]if I could apply to be a server. Learn more about the food, learn more about wines. He sat down with me and he told me he didn’t see me doing something like that.”
It is time to translate the country’s respect for restaurants into fair labor conditions for restaurant workers. Improving jobs will lead to better food, happier consumers, and more stable businesses. As you enjoy a meal with family and friends, remember your fellow workers in the kitchen and dining room who make this act possible.
Please click here to learn more and read the report from the DC Restaurant Industry Coalition.
Nikki Lewis is a coordinator at Restaurant Opportunities Centers United-DC.
