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WORK: A CURE FOR CAPITALISM."
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH ME.
>> THANK YOU, BILL, FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY.
>> YOU HEARD RICHARD WOLFF SAY
THERE ARE VERY GOOD REASONS TO
BE ANGRY AT CAPITALISM'S
TAKEOVER OF DEMOCRACY, BUT, HE
WENT ON TO SAY, DON'T WRITE OFF
THE DEMOCRATIC IMPULSE THAT IS
AT THE HEART OF THE AMERICAN
PROMISE.
IT CAN BREAK OUT ANYTIME,
ANYWHERE.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE.
THE DAY AFTER PRESIDENT OBAMA'S
STATE OF THE UNION, RESTAURANT
EMPLOYEES MARCHED ON CAPITOL
HILL IN SUPPORT OF A FAIR DEAL
FOR WORKERS WHO LIVE BY CUSTOMER
TIPS.
>> WHAT WE WANT, IS JUSTICE IN
OUR INDUSTRY!
>> ALTHOUGH THOSE TIPS ARE OFTEN
MEAGER OR NONEXISTENT, FOR THE
PAST 22 YEARS, THESE WORKERS
HAVE BEEN STUCK AT A FEDERAL
MINIMUM WAGE OF $2.13 AN HOUR.
>> HEY HEY, HO HO, $2.13 HAS GOT
TO GO!
>> AT THE HEAD OF THE MARCH,
SARU JAYARAMAN.
>> ROC UNITED!
>> THE ORGANIZATION SHE
CO-FOUNDED, RESTAURANT
OPPORTUNITIES CENTERS UNITED, IS
FIGHTING TO IMPROVE WAGES AND
WORKING CONDITIONS FOR THE
PEOPLE WHO COOK AND SERVE THE
FOOD WE EAT AT RESTAURANTS AND
THEN CLEAN UP WHEN WE'RE DONE.
>> BECAUSE RESTAURANT WORKERS
THEY SERVE US AND THEY SHOULD BE
ABLE TO PUT FOOD ON THEIR OWN
TABLES.
>> OUTSIDE THE CAPITOL, SHE AND
THE PROTESTERS ARE JOINED BY
CONGRESSWOMAN ROSA DELAURO OF
CONNECTICUT.
>> STORM THAT HILL, MAKE THE
DIFFERENCE.
>> INSIDE, THE ACTIVISTS ARE
GREETED BY CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA
EDWARDS OF MARYLAND, WHO, WITH
DELAURO, HAS INTRODUCED
LEGISLATION RAISING THE MINIMUM
WAGE FOR TIPPED WORKERS.
>> I KNOW THAT WHEN I WAITED
TABLES, I DIDN'T JUST DO IT
BECAUSE I NEEDED SOME EXTRA
CHANGE.
I DID IT BECAUSE I HAD TO PAY MY
RENT.
I DID IT BECAUSE I HAD TO MAKE
SURE THAT I HAD FOOD IN MY
REFRIGERATOR.
I DID IT BECAUSE I NEEDED
TRANSPORTATION TO GET BACK AND
FORTH TO SCHOOL.
IT WAS A JOB.
>> SARU JAYARAMAN'S NEW BOOK
"BEHIND THE KITCHEN DOOR" IS AN
INSIDER'S EXPOSE OF WHAT IT'S
REALLY LIKE TO WORK AT THE
LOWEST RUNGS OF THE RESTAURANT
INDUSTRY.
>> THERE ARE ACTUALLY NOW OVER
10 MILLION RESTAURANT WORKERS IN
THE UNITED STATES.
SO SEVEN OF THE TEN LOWEST
PAYING JOBS IN AMERICA ARE
RESTAURANT JOBS, AND THE TWO
ABSOLUTE LOWEST PAYING JOBS IN
AMERICA ARE RESTAURANT
DISHWASHERS AND FAST FOOD PREPS
AND COOKS ARE THE TWO ABSOLUTE
LOWEST PAYING JOBS IN AMERICA.
THESE WORKERS EARN POVERTY WAGES
BECAUSE THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR
TIPPED WORKERS AT THE FEDERAL
LEVEL HAS BEEN FROZEN FOR
22 YEARS AT $2.13 AN HOUR, AND
IT'S THE REASON THAT FOOD
SERVERS USE FOOD STAMPS AT
DOUBLE THE RATE OF THE REST OF
THE U.S. WORKFORCE AND HAVE A
POVERTY RATE OF THREE TIMES THE
REST OF THE U.S. WORKFORCE.
WE GOT TO THIS PLACE BECAUSE OF
THE POWER OF THE NATIONAL
RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.
WE CALL IT THE OTHER NRA.
THEY'VE BEEN NAMED THE TENTH
MOST POWERFUL LOBBYING GROUP IN
CONGRESS, AND BACK IN 1996 WHEN
HERMAN CAIN WAS THE HEAD OF THE
NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION,
HE STRUCK A DEAL WITH CONGRESS
SAYING THAT, "WE WILL NOT OPPOSE
THE OVERALL MINIMUM WAGE
CONTINUING TO RISE AS LONG AS
THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR TIPPED
WORKERS STAYS FROZEN FOREVER,"
AND SO IT HAS FOR THE LAST
22 YEARS.
NOW, SURE, SOME OF THEM EARN
TIPS ON TOP OF THOSE WAGES, BUT
THERE ARE PLENTY OF WORKERS,
PARTICULARLY IMAGINE YOUR
AVERAGE SERVER IN AN IHOP IN
TEXAS EARNING $2.13 AN HOUR,
GRAVEYARD SHIFT, NO TIPS.
THE COMPANY'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE
UP THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
$2.13 AND $7.25, BUT TIME AND
TIME AGAIN THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
THEY LIVE ON TIPS, AND WHEN SLOW
NIGHTS HAPPEN AND YOU DON'T EARN
ANYTHING OR VERY LITTLE IN TIPS,
YOU OFTEN CAN'T PATE THE RENT.
AND I GUARANTEE YOU IN EVERY
RESTAURANT IN AMERICA THERE'S AT
LEAST ONE PERSON WHO'S ON THE
VERGE OF HOMELESSNESS OR BEING
EVICTED OR GOING THROUGH SOME
KIND OF INSTABILITY.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLE IRONY THAT
THE PEOPLE THAT WHO PUT FOOD ON
OUR TABLES USE FOOD STAMPS AT
TWICE THE RATE OF THE REST OF
THE U.S. WORKFORCE.
MEANING THAT THE PEOPLE WHO PUT
FOOD ON OUR TABLES CAN'T AFFORD
TO PUT FOOD ON THEIR OWN
FAMILY'S TABLES, AND THEY DON'T
USE FOOD STAMPS BECAUSE THEY
WANT TO.
THEY USE FOOD STAMPS BECAUSE
THEIR WAGES ARE SO LOW, AND THEY
FACE HIGHER LEVELS OF WHAT'S
CALLED FOOD INSECURITY THAN
OTHER WORKERS.
SO THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO EAT.
THE OTHER KEY ISSUE THAT WE FIND
THAT WORKERS FACE IS THE LACK OF
PAID SICK DAYS AND HEALTHCARE
BENEFITS, TWO-THIRDS OF ALL
WORKERS REPORT COOKING,
PREPARING, AND SERVING FOOD WHEN
THEY'RE ILL WITH THE FLU OR
OTHER SICKNESSES.
AND WITH A WAGE AS LITTLE AS
$2.13, SO RELIANT ON TIPS FOR
THEIR WAGES, THESE WORKERS
SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE A
DAY OFF WHEN SICK, LET ALONE
RISK LOSING THEIR JOBS.
90% OF FOODBORNE ILLNESSES IN
THE UNITED STATES CAN BE TRACED
BACK TO SICK RESTAURANT WORKERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMMON SENSE,
IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, IT'S
GOOD FOR THE WORKERS, THE
FAMILIES, AND THE SMALL
BUSINESSES BECAUSE OUR RESEARCH
HAS SHOWN THAT WHEN SMALL
BUSINESS ACTUALLY PAYS BETTER,
PROVIDES THESE BENEFITS, WE'VE
FOUND THEY HAVE LESS TURNOVER,
HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY, HIGHER
PROFITABILITY.
THE MAJORITY OF WORKERS ARE
ADULTS, MANY ARE PARENTS AND
SINGLE PARENTS, SINGLE MOTHERS,
USING THE RESTAURANT JOB THEIR
MAIN SOURCE OF INCOME, AND, BY
THE WAY, TAKING GREAT PRIDE
RESTAURANT WORK.
REALLY LOVING BEING A RESTAURANT
WORKER, HOSPITALITY IS SOMETHING
PEOPLE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN, AND
SO WE NEED TO MAKE THIS INDUSTRY
PROFESSIONAL, THE WAY THAT OTHER
CAREERS ARE PROFESSIONAL.
THIS IS NOT A JOB THAT YOU MOVE
ON TO SOMETHING ELSE.
THIS IS A CAREER FOR MANY, MANY
PEOPLE WHO STAY IN THIS INDUSTRY
FOR THEIR LIFETIMES.
SO PEOPLE NEED THE OPPORTUNITY
TO MOVE UP THE LADDER, TO MOVE
TO BETTER JOBS, TO BE TREATED
LIKE PROFESSIONALS, GIVEN A PAID
SICK DAY, GIVEN A WAGE THAT THEY
CAN SUSTAIN THEIR FAMILIES ON.
WE PARTNER WITH MORE THAN A
HUNDRED SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
AROUND THE COUNTRY WHO ARE DOING
THE RIGHT THING, PROVIDING GOOD,
DECENT WAGES, BETTER WORKING
CONDITIONS, PAID SICK DAYS,
BENEFITS, OPPORTUNITIES FOR
ADVANCEMENT.
THESE EMPLOYERS DON'T CHARGE
EXORBITANT AMOUNTS TO THEIR
CUSTOMERS, THEIR PRICES ARE VERY
COMPARABLE TO EVERYBODY ELSE,
BUT THEY'VE WORKED IT INTO THEIR
BUSINESS PLAN, AND WE HAVE THEM
ORGANIZED INTO A RESTAURANT
INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE AND OFFER
ASSISTANCE, ADVICE, BOTH FROM
THEM AND FROM US ABOUT HOW ANY
RESTAURANT OWNER COULD DO
BETTER, COULD PROVIDE BETTER
WAGES AND NOT HAVE EXORBITANT
PRICES.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST
THING I WOULD SAY TO A SMALL
BUSINESS OWNER IS, "LOOK, THERE
ARE TONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
ALREADY DOING IT.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU, THEY'RE
HERE TO HELP YOU TRY THIS NEW
WAY OF DOING BUSINESS."
>> WE'RE WORKERS UNITED, WE
CAN'T BE DEFEATED.
WE'RE WORKERS UNITED, WE CAN'T
BE DEFEATED.
>> ACTING ON THAT DEMOCRATIC
IMPULSE, SARU JAYARAMAN AND THE
PROTESTING WORKERS MARCH FROM
CAPITOL HILL TO THE CAPITAL
GRILLE STEAKHOUSE, OWNED BY ONE
OF THE BIGGEST RESTAURANT CHAINS
IN AMERICA.
>> 86,000 CUSTOMERS OF YOURS
HAVE SIGNED A PETITION CALLING
ON YOU TO PAY A MINIMUM OF AT
LEAST $5 AN HOUR TO YOUR
WORKERS BECAUSE $2.13 IS JUST
NOT ENOUGH TO LIVE ON.
SO HERE YOU GO.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> A FINAL THOUGHT -- WATCHING
THOSE WORKERS, IT OCCURS TO ME
THAT A CAPITALIST SYSTEM THAT NO
LONGER MEETS MOST PEOPLE'S NEEDS
SIMPLY CANNOT LAST.
IT MAY SURVIVE FOR A TIME BY
FRAUD, FARCE, FOR FORCE, BUT
ONCE THE CAPACITY OR THE WILL
FOR SELF-CORRECTION HAS BEEN
LOST, SO, TOO, IS LOST ITS
REASON TO BE, EXCEPT TO ENRICH
THE FEW AT THE EXPENSE OF THE
MANY.
SOONER OR LATER THE OPPRESSIVE
THUMB OF THE ONE PERCENT HAS TO
BE LIFTED -- EITHER VOLUNTARILY
REMOVED, OR SEVERED BY PUBLIC
ANGER AND POPULAR WILL.
FOR THE MOMENT, THOSE RESTAURANT
WORKERS STILL BELIEVE IN
DEMOCRACY, STILL BELIEVE THEY
CAN UNDO POLITICALLY WHAT
PREDATORY CAPITALISM HAS DONE TO
THEM ECONOMICALLY.
STILL BELIEVE THEIR CRY FOR
JUSTICE WILL BE HEARD.