Facing Thousands of Layoffs,Olive Garden, and other Darden Workers Prepare to Take Direct Action With Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director, ROC United
Starboard Value, a hedge fund continuing to increase its control over Darden, just released a 300 page presentation on the future of Olive Garden, franchising out the company, increasing part-time scheduling, andthousands of lay-offs.Starboard Value and Darden Restaurants have continued to ignore the requests of a petition, singed by thousands of Darden employees to meet with leadership from both the hedge-fund and restaurant company. The petition also calls attention to problematic labor practices, including the company s elimination of auto-gratuities on large parties, unpredictable scheduling, and wages unable to sustain a family. Darden Restaurants Inc employs more than 130,000 people across the U.S. The company s annual shareholders meeting is confirmed to take place on October 10th in Orlando, Florida. Employees are planning direct action in New York City before the shareholders meeting . ******************************** Eliminating NY s Tipped Sub-Minimum Wage with Paul Sonn, General Counsel, Ntl. Employment Law Project (NELP)
Marking a new front in the fight for fair pay for low-wage workers in NY a new coalition of women s leaders, food delivery workers, and low-wage tipped workers are calling for an end to the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers by the Cuomo administration s Wage Board charged with recommending an increase in the state s tipped sub-minimum wage. A new report by NELP finds that a Wage Order eliminating the tipped sub-minimum wage would benefit an estimated 229,000 low-wage tipped workers. The minimum wage for thousands of tipped food service workers remains stuck at just $5.00/hr. (tipped hotel workers earn slightly higher at $5.65 per hour). In many states the tipped minimum is far lower.
produced by Mimi Rosenberg and Ken Nash
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