So I have been out of work for several years due to being a single parent with no childcare. Now that my daughter is in kindergarten, I have gotten a regular job as a dishwasher at a non-chain restaurant. The 2 owners are also chefs and they work literally right beside me. But there are 27 other employees who are not owners and thus are being exploited. Everyone’s general mindset there is benefitting the company as much as possible. They associate success of the business with the potential for pay raises, promotions, etc.
My mindset is a communist worker working directly alongside the people exploiting everyone else’s labor. It’s important to note the owners in this establishment don’t do nothing at all, they are the head chefs and do a lot of work every day, but I can’t ignore the fact that they tale home the majority of the profits while everyone else is beholden to a standard hourly wage ($12/hr)
My problem is I am very unfamiliar with the restaurant industry and its relation to labor organizing. Are unions a thing in restaurants? Is it more risky to approach labor organizing when the owner is part of that labor? Am I looking at this from an entirely wrong angle?
I’m just not sure what steps, if any, I should consider here. I spend all day listening to Marxist theory through headphones while washing dishes, but I can’t figure out how to approach this situation. Please give me some starting points if you can. It’s also probably relevant to note that I work in a state with Right To Work and At Will Employment laws
I assume you’re in the USA. Unions are basically non existent in restaurants. There are unions that represent workers at hotels, casinos, airports, etc, which includes cooks, dishwashers, servers, etc.
Your state should have a Labor Dept that can answer all of your questions about meal breaks and other rights you have. And some of the more experienced workers should know as well.
Also, somewhere in your workplace should be a poster that outlines your rights, things like the federal and state wage, relevant info about overtime pay etc. It’s usually required in most states to have it posted. Did you sign any paperwork when you were hired?
What is your overall goal? Just organizing a union at your workplace? It’s difficult to organize at mom/pop restaurants for a few reasons. One of those is At Will Employment laws. If you go hard on organizing a union right away with no support, your bosses will find a reason to fire you. They can’t discipline you for talking about organizing ( that’s illegal), but if they think you’re a problem they might find some excuse to write you up a few times and then fire you.
What is the pay like for the other workers? Are there other benefits for employees?
I would focus on learning about your own rights at work, and getting to know your coworkers. The better you get to know your coworkers, the easier it will be to talk about your rights at work.
Also, after about 60 days at work, ask for a raise.