Posts tagged restaurant
Democrats boycott DC restaurant hotspots on behalf of union workers
June 10, 2025 // More than 50 congressional Democrats signed a union pledge to boycott a half dozen Washington, D.C., restaurants. The Democratic lawmakers signed Unite Here Local 25's pledge to boycott restaurants, including Le Diplomate, Osteria Mozza, The Occidental, Rasika, Modena, and Bombay Club. Many are favorites of the Democrats' power elite — Le Diplomate was one of former President Joe Biden's favorite spots during his presidency.
Via 313’s Austin location unionizes after 3-year fight, labor board ruling
March 24, 2025 // Unionization efforts began in January 2022, reported Eater Austin, when employees alleged that management was not transparent about safety concerns related to the Omicron variant of coronavirus. A group of 46 employees across Austin signed a petition asking for sick and hazard pay, alongside improved COVID-19 safety procedures. Employees later filed for union election through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Aug. 2022.
Stephen Starr Opens the Ritzy Reimagined Occidental
March 11, 2025 // There have been protests alleging workplace violations at the restaurants attempting to unionize and picketers were even outside The Occidental opening on Wednesday. Starr maintains in statements that “Unite Here Local 25 has unlawfully targeted” his restaurants and has been “harassing our workers and filing frivolous and untrue claims.” St. Anselm voted to unionize by a thin margin on February 21, while a majority of Pastis workers voted against unionizing on February 28.
Legendary Los Angeles Restaurant the Original Pantry Cafe Suddenly Closes After 101 Years
March 6, 2025 // When Riordan passed away in 2023, his family’s trust assumed ownership and planned to sell the restaurant to fund its philanthropic operations. Even after its closure yesterday, union workers protested in front of the restaurant past 6 p.m. Unite Here, which represents the workers, filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board on February 7 with allegations that the closure violates federal labor law. On February 25, the NLRB dismissed the charge due to “lack of cooperation from the Charging Party.” The union can still appeal the decision. Back in April 2023, a few weeks before Riordan died, a class-action lawsuit alleging unpaid overtime, rest, and meal breaks was filed on behalf of workers; the case remained in settlement talks as of February 2025.
The High-Stakes Battle to Organize Heats Up at Three of D.C.’s Hottest Restaurants
February 28, 2025 // Employees who have stepped forward say that members of Unite Here Local 25, which represents restaurant, hotel, and casino workers in the D.C. area, obtained individual home addresses; have then showed up at their houses at night to demand a union card signature; and even used one’s religion as a ruse to meet. In addition, some employees say that union reps have made them uncomfortable in repeated confrontations outside of work. Eater spoke to five workers at St. Anselm, Le Diplomate, and Pastis, some of whom spoke to the publication under conditions of anonymity, citing fear of retaliation.
NLRB’s in-house tribunal undermines fairness and rule of law
February 25, 2025 // Nick felt he’d followed proper procedure and compiled thorough evidence to support his case. But none of it mattered. The NLRB doesn’t have to prosecute its allegations in a proper court of law. In fact, it doesn’t even have to go beyond its own walls. The agency’s general counsel filed the case in-house, applied the NLRB’s own rules (that toss aside standard rules of evidence), and held a hearing in front of an NLRB-employed administrative law judge (ALJ) at the NLRB’s offices. Any appeal of the ALJ’s decision goes to the NLRB itself. Unsurprisingly, the ALJ in Nick’s case ruled against the restaurant and ordered it to rehire the eight employees with backpay. The NLRB affirmed the ALJ’s decision, including her order to Hiran Management to compensate the employees for any “foreseeable” harm that purportedly resulted from the terminations. These so-called “compensatory damages” are not authorized under the National Labor Relations Act. But the NLRB “discovered” this authority in December 2022—90 years after the labor act was adopted.
Restaurant Minimum Wage Hurting Businesses and the Workers Proponents Seek to Help
January 10, 2025 // For fast food operators, it’s not just this latest minimum wage increase. Since 2013, their minimum wages have increased from $8 to $20, which is 2.5 times. It’s unsurprising that they’re slashing jobs, cutting hours and raising prices. This also coincides with a major turn towards automation. Of course, automation is driven by many factors, not just increased labor costs – but they certainly don’t help.
California fast food restaurant owners warn that hiking $20 minimum wage will ‘cripple’ them
January 8, 2025 // The council, which consists of 10 members appointed by the governor, is empowered to raise the minimum wage by up to 3.5% — or the annual rate of inflation each year — beginning Jan. 1 of this year. The union representing fast food workers has accused restaurant owners of cutting employee hours in response to the wage increase — all but offsetting the hike in wages.
SEATTLE: Popular Restaurant Unable to Survive Even One Day of New $20.76 Minimum Wage Law
January 3, 2025 // As the city of Seattle, Washington, hiked minimum wages to $20.76 per hour on New Year’s Day, some businesses had to close their doors, including one restaurant whose owner somehow still supports the new law.
Chef Ann Kim’s Korean American Restaurant Will Close Following Unionization
August 26, 2024 // Vestalia did not voluntarily recognize the union. Kim made her first public statement about the unionization push on June 9, writing on Instagram that she “firmly agree[s] that everyone deserves the right to a voice and a vote,” but that she felt Kim’s team could “come together” without a union. (The post has since been removed.) Later that month, food blogger Joe Rosenthal posted internal messages from Kim, her partner Conrad Leifur, and restaurant managers seemingly attempting to persuade staff to vote against unionizing.