Podcasts about food labor research center

The rise of the labor movement in the US constitutes one of the brightest spots on the political horizon. Auto workers were joined by academic workers, actors, writers, hotel workers, UPS teamsters won without striking, and union drives have hit Amazon, Starbucks, universities and other sectors. Are these union drives and strikes opening a new period, igniting a newly energized working class?Live from the Progressive Central conference held in Chicago before the Democratic National Convention, Jacobin Radio features an all-women panel of labor leaders and champions celebrating "Organized Labor on the Rise: the 2020s and Beyond." This panel, introduced by Alan Minsky and Hartsell Gray of Progressive Democrats of America, opens with Nina Turner on overcoming racism in the labor movement, followed by Saru Jayaraman from One Fair Wage and UC Berkeley's Food Labor Research Center, Sara Nelson, President of CWA's flight attendants union, and Stacey Davis Gates, President of the Chicago Teachers Union.Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Capitol Weekly hosted the California Ballot Forum: 2024 Election Preview. Through spirited discussion and reasoned debate, proponents for each side explored the strengths and weaknesses of the proposals in a conversation moderated by a journalist. Today's episode presents: Proposition 32 - RAISES MINIMUM WAGE. INITIATIVE STATUTE. If passed, Proposition 32 would raise minimum wage as follows: For employers with 26 or more employees, to $17 immediately, $18 on January 1, 2025. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, to $17 on January 1, 2025, $18 on January 1, 2026. Fiscal Impact: State and local government costs could increase or decrease by up to hundreds of millions of dollars annually. State and local revenues likely would decrease by no more than a few hundred million dollars annually. The "Yes" side was presented by Saru Jayaraman Saru Jayaraman is the President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. After 9/11, together with displaced World Trade Center workers, she co-founded the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), which grew into a national movement of restaurant workers, employers and consumers. She then launched One Fair Wage as a national campaign to end all subminimum wages in the United States. The story of Saru and her co-founder's work founding ROC has been chronicled in the book The Accidental American, and the story of the One Fair Wage campaign has been profiled in the new film Waging Change. Saru is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The "No" side was presented by Jot Condie Jot Condie is the President and CEO of the California Restaurant Association. Before joining CRA, Jot was the legislative director for the California Manufacturer's Association, where he lobbied on behalf of California's Fortune 500 companies. He also served as the chief lobbyist for the Southern California Air Quality Alliance, a consortium of aerospace, manufacturing and high-tech companies with an interest in air quality regulation issues. Before joining the Manufacturer's Association, Jot worked in the State Capitol as staff director for Assistant Assembly Majority Leader, directing a staff of policy consultants and legislative aides. Prior to serving as staff director he was a legislative director for the Assembly Minority Whip and managed political campaigns in state legislative races. The moderator was Phil Willon of the Los Angeles Times Phil Willon is an assistant editor based in the Sacramento bureau of the Los Angeles Times and guides coverage of California politics and assists with state capital coverage. He previously covered Gov. Gavin Newsom, the 2018 governor's race and the 2016 U.S. Senate race. Before heading north, Willon covered Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and roamed Southern California's mountains and deserts as the newsroom's state correspondent in the Inland Empire. Prior to joining The Times, Willon served as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for the Tampa Tribune. At the Tribune, Willon also covered Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles, Hurricane Andrew and the investigation leading to the arrest of serial killer Danny Rolling. He began his newspaper career as the Kent Island correspondent for the Capital in Annapolis, Md. Willon grew up in Southern California and graduated from UC San Diego. Capitol Weekly is a 501c3 nonprofit created to inform, enlighten and educate Californians about public policy and state governance, and to provide a nonpartisan platform for engagement with public officials, advocates and political interests. Thanks to our underwriters for this event: BICKER, CASTILLO, FAIRBANKS & SPITZ PUBLIC AFFAIRS, THE TRIBAL ALLIANCE OF SOVEREIGN INDIAN NATIONS, WESTERN STATES PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION, PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA; LUCAS PUBLIC AFFAIRS, KP PUBLIC AFFAIRS, PERRY COMMUNICATIONS, CAPITOL ADVOCACY, THE WEIDEMAN GROUP, CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, THE NO ON 33 CAMPAIGN, and THE YES ON 34 CAMPAIGN

The battle over raising the minimum wage for tipped workers and permitting tip pooling bounces to the Massachusetts ballot this November. Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, argues that the current tipped wage structure perpetuates low pay and high turnover. Although the wage increase would occur over five years, opponents assert the mandate would be detrimental to some small and independent restaurants and could fail to increase employee job satisfaction and retention.  This episode is part of the Tipping and Wage Series where we explore the various angles of this debate with restaurant owners, advocates, academics, and consumers to gain a deeper understanding of the bottom line. Boston University School of Hospitality Administration is committed to presenting topics shaping the hospitality industry's future with thoughtful and constructive discussion that respects different perspectives. We welcome your input and feedback. Email us at shadean@bu.edu  Tipping and Wages Series podcasts: The Psychology of Tipping with Michael Lynn, Ph.D., Professor of Services Marketing, Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration The matters that Massachusetts Restaurant Association wages for (and against) with Stephen Clark, President of MRA Restauranteur's Dilemma of Balancing Equity and Economics with TJ Callahan, co-founder and owner of Farm Bar California Raises Minimum Wage for Fast-Food Workers with Chris Simms, CEO and Founder of Lazy Dog Referenced in this podcast: Always Essential, Still Waiting for Change: Service Worker Fatalities and Inequities During COVID and Post-Pandemic, March 2024 Dean's Distinguished Speakers Series with Saru Jayaraman, presented by BU School of Hospitality, February 7, 2024 Press Release: Department of Labor Renews Multi-Year Initiative to Provide Enforcement, Outreach, Education for Restaurant Workers: 85% of investigations find violations in fiscal year 2021 The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public RelationsSound Engineer and Editor: Andrew HallockGraphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Labor organizer and Founder of One Fair Wage, Saru Jayaraman, takes us inside one of the fiercest labor struggles to challenge a mighty oligarchy: The food, beverage and restaurant industry. Workers are walking off the job and refusing historically low wages. She says if “we the people” stand with workers as they face this powerful lobby, they can win. Featuring Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, co-founded (after 9/11) the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), which grew into a national movement of restaurant workers, employers and consumers. Saru has won many prestigious awards for her advocacy and is the author of four books including: One Fair Wage: Ending All Subminimum Pay in America and Bite Back: People Taking on Corporate Food and Winning. Resources Saru Jayaraman – The Great Revolution: What A Worker Power Moment Can Mean for Climate Justice | Bioneers 2023 Keynote Saru Jayaraman – We the People: Workers Rising for Fair Wages | Bioneers 2017 Keynote Inside the Campaign to Abolish the Subminimum Wage in 25 States by 2026 | Inequality.org This is an episode of the Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature series. Visit the radio and podcast homepage to learn more.

  Not only do restaurant workers comprise at least half of the country's 22 million food industry workers, they also happen to be among the lowest paid — the minimum wage for tipped workers is still just $2.13 an hour at the federal level. Photo by Andreas Brændhaugen. Saru Jayaraman, President of  One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley, speaks with Earth Island Journal editor Maureen Nandini Mitra and Terra Verde cohost about why the environmental movement should work in solidarity with restaurant workers as well how the ongoing restaurant worker revolt in the country could have enormous implications for labor and environmental justice and for our democracy as well. The post Serving Justice All Along the Food Chain appeared first on KPFA.

This week, California implements a minimum wage of $20 per hour for fast food workers. Proponents of the measure believe that it will not only allow workers to meet essential needs, but potentially move them up the economic ladder to greater financial security. Restaurant owners and operators contend that they may need to cut back on employee hours, eliminate jobs, and increase their prices. We'll look at how this measure will impact the Bay Area. Guests: Saru Jayaraman, director, Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley; president, One Fair Wage; co-founder, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United Jeanne Kuang, reporter, CalMatters Scott Rodrick, founder, Rodrick Group; McDonald's franchisee in San Francisco

This week on CounterSpin: The journalists at Yahoo Finance tell us that a Connecticut McDonald's charging $18 for a combo meal has “sparked a nationwide debate” on escalating prices in the fast food industry. The outrage, readers are told, is “partly attributed” to a recent raise in the minimum wage — which has not yet gone into effect. From there, we move on to how it isn't just that poor working Joes will have to pay more for a Big Mac, but also there will be layoffs of fast-food employees. We meet Jose and Jim, who say they thought higher wages would be good, “considering the decline in tipping and increasing living costs.” Alas no, Yahoo explains: “The reality was harsher. The wage increase, while beneficial for some, has resulted in job losses for others, leading to a complex mix of gratitude and resentment among affected workers.” Elite reporters seem so far removed from the daily reality of the bulk of the country that this doesn't even ring weird to them. A raise in wages for fast food employees means fast food employees have to lose their jobs — that's just, you know, “economics.” We get a different view on raising the minimum wage from Sebastian Martinez Hickey, researcher for the EARN (Economic Analysis and Research Network) team at the Economic Policy Institute. Also on the show: A largely unspoken part of media's wage conversation is the whole sector of workers whose pay rates are based in enslavement. In 2015, CounterSpin learned about tipped wages from Saru Jayaraman, co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. We hear part of that conversation.   The post Sebastian Martinez Hickey on Minimum Wage; Saru Jayaraman on History of Tipping appeared first on KPFA.

Subminimum wage workers make about 10% of the American workforce. That means, of all working Americans, 13 million people make about $2.13. These workers are in an incredibly vulnerable position, as they're often reliant on tips, receive little to no benefits, and lack consistent hours, to make ends meet. It's a massive problem that's become endemic to our workforce, especially in areas like the hospitality and restaurant industry. This is what today's guest, Saru Jarayaman, is fighting against as she strives to ensure every worker across America gets a fair chance at a liveable wage. A graduate from Yale Law, Saru is the co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), which she founded with displaced World Trade Center workers after 9/11. Eventually, it grew into a national movement of restaurant workers, employers and consumers. This led her to also found, and become president of One Fair Wage, a national organization of nearly 300,000 service workers, over 2,000 restaurant employers, and dozens of organizations nationwide all working together to end all subminimum wages in the United States and improve wages and working conditions in the service industry. For her work she was recognized in CNN's “Top10 Visionary Women” and as a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014. In 2015, she received the James Beard Foundation Leadership Award, and many, many other awards. Her latest book “One Fair Wage: Ending Subminimum Pay in America” uplifts the stories of subminimum wage workers across many sectors — including tipped restaurants, workers with disabilities, incarcerated workers, and more. The book not just highlights the massive inequalities and injustices these people face, but also offers insights, and solutions, into how fixing these systems makes everyone winners. This is an especially important episode of the podcast, one that's essential for those who are managing frontline workers! Lucky for you, this is a shorter episode, so with that…let's bring it in.

Susan Sarandon, Saru Jayaraman & Jenny Almanzar talk about the One Fair Wage campaign they're fighting for. Economist Richard Wolff talks about the debt ceiling. Saru Jayaraman is the President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Saru is also the author of One Fair Wage: Ending All Subminimum Pay in America (The New Press, November 2021). https://onefairwage.site/ https://onefairwage.site/newyork Jenny Almanzar is a longtime NYC restaurant worker and leader in both OFW and Our Revolution. Susan Sarandon is an Academy-Award-winning actor and activist. She was arrested protesting for One Fair Wage. Richard Wolff is an economist, the host of #EconomicUpdate, Professor of Economics Emeritus at UMass Amherst , visiting professor at The New School and the founder of Democracy at Work. https://www.rdwolff.com/ https://www.democracyatwork.info/ ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Follow Katie on Twitter: @kthalps Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/rkEk75Emhy

This week on Meat and Three, we are examining what happens the moment the check arrives. We hear about the lived experience of being a tipped worker before turning to academics and advocates to explain the history and politics of tipping. Then, we talk to an expert on pay-what-you-can restaurants on the role of such establishments in the fight against food insecurity. Oftentimes, the ways we pay for our food goes unquestioned yet these guests prompt us to reimagine paying for our meals to better support the dignity of workers and eaters alike. This week teaches us that a few dollars can make a big difference. Join us next week to talk about big money as we explore the role of banking and finance in the food industry. Further Reading:Saru Jayaraman is the President of One Fair Wage and the Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University California Berkeley. Listen to Shiftwork by the Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation on Heritage Radio NetworkYou can read more about the history of tipping and its origins in the Reconstruction period here. Learn more about Restaurant Workers United on their website or on twitter @restaurauntwrkrs. You can follow the work of One World Everybody Eats at their website. Look for the “Find A Cafe” tab to see if there is a pay-what-you-can cafe near you. Check Taste Community Restaurant in Fort Worth Texas.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

Tipping after meals at restaurants is almost second nature for many Americans. But the practice is changing as more people begin to question why we tip.  In many states, employers are allowed to pay a tipped staff a lower minimum wage. Minnesota is one of the few states in the nation that requires employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before factoring in tips.  Tipping also has a dark history in the United States. Tipping has been linked to the end of slavery when employers wanted an excuse to pay recently freed Black Americans less.  More restaurants are beginning to eliminate tipping, opting instead to charge a service or hospitality fee.  In this rebroadcast, MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the history of tipping in the United States, how it's changing and the push for higher wages for service workers. Guests:  Saru Jayaraman is the president of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. She is also the co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Center United, a non-profit that advocates to improve wages for restaurant workers. Paul Bagdan is a professor of Hospitality at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, where he researches guest service and tip elimination. Teófilo Reyes is the chief program officer for Restaurant Opportunities Center United. 

The pandemic put into stark relief the undue burden faced by working poor women in America. Many were laid off or had to quit for COVID-related reasons, such as school closures. Often, they struggled in low-paid jobs as essential workers, while facing greater demands at home. But even in the best of times, women in low-wage industries must cope with daunting challenges. In their new book Getting Me Cheap, sociologists Lisa Dodson and Amanda Freeman argue that the conveniences many Americans enjoy—things such as grocery delivery and nanny care—are made possible by the sacrifices of these women. The book reveals how discrimination, unpredictable work schedules, and lack of affordable childcare trap women in poverty and make “work-life balance” impossible. Join us as we hear from Dodson and Freeman about their research and possible solutions. SPEAKERS Lisa Dodson Research Professor Emerita, Boston College; Co-author, Getting Me Cheap: How Low Wage Work Traps Women and Girls in Poverty Amanda Freeman Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Hartford; Writer and Researcher of Motherhood and Work; Co-author, Getting Me Cheap: How Low Wage Work Traps Women and Girls in Poverty Saru Jayaraman President, One Fair Wage; Director, Food Labor Research Center, University of California, Berkeley Bernice Yeung Managing Editor, The Investigative Reporting Program, University of California, Berkeley This program contains EXPLICIT language In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on January 19th, 2023 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tipping after meals at restaurants is almost second-nature for many Americans. But the practice is changing as more people begin to question why we tip.  In many states, employers are allowed to pay a tipped staff a lower minimum wage. Minnesota is one of the few states in the nation that requires employers to pay tipped employees full state minimum wage before factoring in tips.  Tipping also has a dark history in the United States. Tipping has been linked to the end of slavery, when employers wanted an excuse to pay recently freed Black Americans less.  More restaurants are beginning to eliminate tipping, opting instead to charge a service or hospitality fee.  MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the history of tipping in the United States, how it's changing and the push for higher wages for service workers. Guests:  Saru Jayaraman is the President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. She is also the co-founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Center United, a non-profit that advocates to improve wages for restaurant workers. Paul Bagdan is a Professor of Hospitality at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, where he researches guest service and tip elimination. Teófilo Reyes is the Chief Program Officer for Restaurant Opportunities Center United. 

On the radio show this week we cover the fight for reproductive healthcare, including abortioncare, and how you can help; what's happening with raising the wages of people in America; where there is hope in democracy; and the release of the COVID vaccine for young children. *Special guests include: Ann Marie Benitez, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, @LatinaInstitute; Saru Jayaraman, One Fair Wage & Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, @onefairwage; Donna Norton, MomsRising/MamasConPoder, @MomsRising @MamasConPoder; and Dr. Yvonne “Bonnie” Maldonado, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, @AmerAcadPeds.

The Legacy of the Subminimum Wage The devaluation of Black lives and women's work is at the heart of the subminimum wage. Until the 1850s, restaurant workers were white men who were unionized and were tipped on top of a living wage. But business owners started hiring women and black people for free, making them rely on tips to make their living. This means that the customer—instead of the employer—is responsible for paying the worker. A century and a half later, the subminimum wage has increased to only $2.13. Tipped Work in the Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how precarious tipped work is. Full time tipped workers, such as in bars or restaurants, often did not qualify for unemployment benefits because their tips were never reported, and it made them look ineligible for not having worked enough hours or earned enough pay. We have an opportunity to get rid of the subminimum wage by advocating for the Raise the Wage Act, supporting restaurants that pay their workers a livable wage, and demanding the same from businesses that don't. Who Gets Paid Subminimum Wages? The restaurant industry makes up a big piece of the work force, but it's not alone. Nail salon workers, car wash workers, parking attendants, sky caps at airports all work for tips. Subminimum wage laws also take advantage of a subset of people who are deemed ineligible for a proper minimum wage. Incarcerated workers are often paid even below the subminimum wage per hour; teenage workers produce the same work as adults but get paid less; and people with disabilities also perform the same as other workers but do not get paid the same amount. FIND OUT MORE: Saru Jayaraman is the President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. Saru has spent the last 20 years organizing and advocating for raising wages and working conditions for restaurant and other service workers. She is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She was listed in CNN's “Top 10 Visionary Women” and recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014, a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award in 2015, and the San Francisco Chronicle ‘Visionary of the Year' in 2019. Saru has written several books, including Behind the Kitchen Door (Cornell University Press, 2013), a national bestseller, Bite Back: People Taking on Corporate Food and Winning (UC Press, 2020), and most recently One Fair Wage: Ending Sub Minimum Pay in America (The New Press, 2021). You can learn more at onefairwage.com. You can follow Saru on Twitter at @SaruJayaraman

Air Date 11/3/2021 Today we take a look at the current wave of strikes and labor movements through the lens of pandemic economics and the history of businesses abuse of the worker. Be part of the show! Leave us a message at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com  Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE Shows & Bonus Content) BestOfTheLeft.com/Advertise Sponsor the show! SHOW NOTES Ch. 1: Striketober: Labor Militancy Grows, U.S. Workers Walk Off the Job & IATSE Members Get Tentative Deal - Democracy Now! - Air Date 10-20-21 Jacobin writer Alex Press says the averted strike is part of a “broader moment” of labor militancy across the United States, including workers at Amazon, Kellogg's and elsewhere. “Workers are willing to fight back,” she says. Ch. 2: Take Your Job and Shove It Part 1 - In The Thick - Air Date 10-26-21 Maria and Julio are joined by Luis Feliz Leon, writer and educator with Labor Notes, and Lauren Kaori Gurley, labor reporter for Vice Magazine's Motherboard to talk about the labor strikes happening across the country. Ch. 3: A Look at the Worker Shortage in the Food Service Industry - The Takeaway - Air Date 10-28-21 The Takeaway also looks at how Covid exposed the systemic inequalities in the restaurant industry with Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. Ch. 4: Take Your Job and Shove It Part 2 - In The Thick - Air Date 10-26-21 Maria and Julio are joined by Luis Feliz Leon, writer and educator with Labor Notes, and Lauren Kaori Gurley, labor reporter for Vice Magazine's Motherboard to talk about the labor strikes happening across the country. Ch. 5: Nice work week, if you can get it - Planet Money - Air Date 10-27-21 The 40 hour work week has been the standard for 80 years. What will it take to lower that? Ch. 6: Right-to-work is bad for workers (with Shane Larson) - Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer - Air Date 9-24-21 Shane Larson from CWA joins Goldy to explain why right-to-work laws are so harmful, how they came to be, and why it's so important to pass the PRO Act to fight for workers' rights. Ch. 7: "Worked to Death": IATSE Film Crew on "Rust" Walked Off Set to Protest Conditions Before Shooting - Democracy Now! - Air Date 10-26-21 We speak with Dutch Merrick, prop master and armorer for over 25 years. Despite safety protocol and expertise, he says, Hollywood crews are getting “worked to death” with 80- to 100-hour workweeks, which he suggests played into the accidental shooting. MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S) Ch. 8: Economic History: The Black Plague — The Great Economic Leveler - Strange World of Econ - Air Date 5-26-17 While undeniably gruesome and tragic, the black plague had a silver lining: the unprecedented lost of life made labour scarce, while infrastructure and other capital were left relatively unharmed. Ch. 9: Nice work week, if you can get it Part 2 - Planet Money - Air Date 10-27-21 Origins of the 40 hour work week. VOICEMAILS Ch. 10: Please clarify various stats on law enforcement and incarceration - Bud from Boise New FINAL COMMENTS Ch. 11: Final comments on the details behind the stats of criminal injustice and incarceration plus why flat-earthers haven't trekked to the edge and looked over TAKE ACTION 5 Ways to Support Workers on Strike (Teen Vogue) MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions): Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr  Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent SHOW IMAGE: Description: Photo of men holding blue and white protest signs in the air that say "UAW On Strike". The photo is from a recent strike by John Deere workers. Credit: "20211020-OSEC-LSC-1195" by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Flickr | Public Domain   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

As president of One Fair Wage and director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, Saru Jayaraman has fought for a reimagining of tipped industries. She argues that at just $2.13 an hour, what tipped-wage workers are paid is unlivable on its own and that, unsurprisingly, the people in these jobs are often society's most vulnerable: undocumented, BIPOC, and women workers who already make cents on the dollar of their white male counterparts. In place of the 30-year-old subminimum wage, Jayaraman has worked tirelessly to realize a fair living wage for these essential workers. In the wake of COVID-19, she says it is more obvious than ever that changes need to be made if we want to keep everyone's head above water. Jayaraman's message is unwavering—our drivers, delivery workers, servers and nail technicians deserve to have a livelihood. At INFORUM and alongside service industry experts Chef Dominique Crenn and Angela Glover Blackwell, Jayaraman will lay out what changes need to be made and how we can achieve a fair, livable wage for everyone in our communities. SPEAKERS Angela Glover Blackwell Founder in Residence, PolicyLink; Host, "Radical Imagination" Podcast Dominique Crenn Chef and Owner, Atelier Crenn Saru Jayaraman President, One Fair Wage; Co-Founder, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; Director, Food Labor Research Ctr., UC Berkeley; Author, Behind the Kitchen Door, Forked: A New Standard for American Dining, & One Fair Wage: Ending Subminimum Pay in America In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As president of One Fair Wage and director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, Saru Jayaraman has fought for a reimagining of tipped industries. She argues that at just $2.13 an hour, what tipped-wage workers are paid is unlivable on its own and that, unsurprisingly, the people in these jobs are often society's most vulnerable: undocumented, BIPOC, and women workers who already make cents on the dollar of their white male counterparts. In place of the 30-year-old subminimum wage, Jayaraman has worked tirelessly to realize a fair living wage for these essential workers. In the wake of COVID-19, she says it is more obvious than ever that changes need to be made if we want to keep everyone's head above water. Jayaraman's message is unwavering—our drivers, delivery workers, servers and nail technicians deserve to have a livelihood. At INFORUM and alongside service industry experts Chef Dominique Crenn and Angela Glover Blackwell, Jayaraman will lay out what changes need to be made and how we can achieve a fair, livable wage for everyone in our communities. SPEAKERS Angela Glover Blackwell Founder in Residence, PolicyLink; Host, "Radical Imagination" Podcast Dominique Crenn Chef and Owner, Atelier Crenn Saru Jayaraman President, One Fair Wage; Co-Founder, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; Director, Food Labor Research Ctr., UC Berkeley; Author, Behind the Kitchen Door, Forked: A New Standard for American Dining, & One Fair Wage: Ending Subminimum Pay in America In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 18th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Look at the Worker Shortage in the Food Service Industry We hear from several restaurant owners managing these issues. We hear from Gregory León, owner and chef at Amilinda in Milwaukee, Marcos Carbajal, co-owner of Carnitas Uruapan, which has two locations in Chicago, and Susannah Koteen, Proprietor of Lido in Harlem.The Takeaway also looks at how Covid exposed the systemic inequalities in the restaurant industry with Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley and author of "Bite Back: People Taking on Corporate Food and Winning." University of Pittsburgh Faculty Ally with Steelworkers to Unionize After Years-Long Campaign We spoke with Paul E. Johnson, assistant professor of communication at University of Pittsburgh and member of the union organizing committee to find out more about how this unionization came to be. Trick or Treat: Creepy Movies to Get You Ready for Halloween Kristen Meinzer is a culture critic and author of "How To Be Fine" and Rafer Guzman is a film critic for Newsday. Together Kristen and Rafer are the co-hosts of the podcast, Movie Therapy, and they joined The Takeaway to give their picks for the best Halloween movies you might not have seen. See the segment page for Kristen's picks! For transcripts, see individual segment pages. 

A Look at the Worker Shortage in the Food Service Industry We hear from several restaurant owners managing these issues. We hear from Gregory León, owner and chef at Amilinda in Milwaukee, Marcos Carbajal, co-owner of Carnitas Uruapan, which has two locations in Chicago, and Susannah Koteen, Proprietor of Lido in Harlem.The Takeaway also looks at how Covid exposed the systemic inequalities in the restaurant industry with Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley and author of "Bite Back: People Taking on Corporate Food and Winning." University of Pittsburgh Faculty Ally with Steelworkers to Unionize After Years-Long Campaign We spoke with Paul E. Johnson, assistant professor of communication at University of Pittsburgh and member of the union organizing committee to find out more about how this unionization came to be. Trick or Treat: Creepy Movies to Get You Ready for Halloween Kristen Meinzer is a culture critic and author of "How To Be Fine" and Rafer Guzman is a film critic for Newsday. Together Kristen and Rafer are the co-hosts of the podcast, Movie Therapy, and they joined The Takeaway to give their picks for the best Halloween movies you might not have seen. See the segment page for Kristen's picks! For transcripts, see individual segment pages. 

What would our economy look like if it put people before profits? For one thing, nobody would have to accept the sub-minimum wage of $2.13, which many states allow for restaurant workers -- a legacy of slavery that marginalizes and impoverishes a wide swath of a workforce made up largely of people of color and immigrants. In this episode of Radical Imagination, host Angela Glover Blackwell speaks with Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage and director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, about the fight to raise the minimum wage for all workers and end subminimum wages. We also hear from USC Sociology Professor Manuel Pastor about solidarity economics, a radical but commonsense concept that challenges us to reimagine our economy and how it can prioritize the needs and interests of all people.

The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour hasn’t changed since 2009. Workers in 21 states make the federal floor, which can be even lower for people who make tips. And at $7.25 an hour, a person working full time with a dependent is making below the federal poverty line.States such as California, Florida, Illinois and Massachusetts have approved gradual minimum wage increases to reach $15 an hour — so is it time to do it at the federal level?On Wednesday 20 senators from both parties are set to meet to discuss whether to use their influence on minimum wage legislation.Economists have argued for years about the consequences of the hike, saying employers who bear the costs would be forced to lay off some of the very employees the minimum wage was intended to support. A report by the Congressional Budget Office on a proposal to see $15 by 2025 estimates the increase would move 900,000 people out of poverty — and at the same time cut 1.4 million jobs.On today’s episode, we debate the fight for $15 with two people who see things very differently. Saru Jayaraman is the president of One Fair Wage and the director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Jeffrey Miron is a senior lecturer in the department of economics at Harvard University and the director of economic studies at the Cato Institute.Learn MoreThe Congressional Budget Office’s February 2021 report on the budgetary effects of the Raise the Wage Act of 2021.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ April 2020 report “Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers.”

Do you know the minimum wage in your state? Saru Jayaraman does. As co-founder and president of One Fair Wage and director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, Saru and her team are fighting in support of the Raise the Wage Act, which would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and get rid of the $2.13 minimum wage for tipped workers. Saru joins us to talk about the ongoing campaign. She also explains the connection between wages, food stamps and sexual harassment and why a higher minimum wage is better for everyone. Plus, find out why Callie Flynn thinks Tove Ohlander of Tove by Design is the Bombe. Thank you to Käserei Champignon, the makers of Cambozola cheese, for supporting this episode.

The theory of marginal product of labor says that every worker is paid exactly what they’re worth—the value that their labor generates. Employers cite marginal productivity to legitimize paying the lowest wages possible, but that’s just another trickle-down scam. Economist Marshall Steinbaum and food labor expert Saru Jayaraman expose the lie of marginal productivity, and show how it’s been used to exploit workers for centuries.  Marshall Steinbaum is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Utah and a Senior Fellow of Higher Education Finance at the Jain Family Institute. He studies market power in labor markets and its policy implications.  Twitter: @Econ_Marshall Saru Jayaraman is President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley.  Twitter: @SaruJayaraman No, Productivity Does Not Explain Income: https://evonomics.com/no-productivity-does-not-explain-income/  ROC United Diners’ Guide App: https://rocunited.org/diners-guide/ Saru Jayaraman: How Restaurant Workers Are Inheriting a Legacy of Slavery in the U.S.: https://bioneers.org/saru-jayaraman-restaurant-workers-inheriting-legacy-slavery-u-s-ztvz1712/ Evidence and Analysis of Monopsony Power, Including But Not Limited To, In Labor Markets: https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_comments/2018/08/ftc-2018-0054-d-0006-151013.pdf Antitrust and Labor Market Power: https://econfip.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Antitrust-and-Labor-Market-Power.pdf Why Are Economists Giving Piketty the Cold Shoulder?  http://bostonreview.net/class-inequality/marshall-steinbaum-why-are-economists-giving-piketty-cold-shoulder Show us some love by leaving a rating or a review! RateThisPodcast.com/pitchforkeconomics  Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com/ Twitter: @PitchforkEcon Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Nick’s twitter: @NickHanauer

As President of One Fair Wage & Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley, Saru Jayaraman has spent 20+ years organizing and advocating for raising wages and improved working conditions for restaurant and other service workers. In 2020, One Fair Wage issued a report on increased sexual harassment against tipped restaurant workers during the pandemic, underscoring a call for change. Jayaraman was named a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014.The Connected Table Live Radio Show is broadcast live at 2pm ET Wednesdays on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). This podcast is also available on Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com).

REPLAY: As President of One Fair Wage, Co-Founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United), and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, Saru Jayaraman spearheads some of the most important efforts being made to establish restaurants as safer and more equitable places to work. Hear about the millions of workers Saru is fighting for, why the minimum wage is linked to slavery, the myriad problems with unemployment insurance, the service-industry parallels between COVID-19 and 9/11 and why One Fair Wage is essential to providing a better future for workers, employers and consumers. Plus, how to support One Fair Wage's emergency efforts to get money and food to the workers who need it most and the announcement of the organization's new High Road Kitchens program. **THIS EPISODE ORIGINALLY RAN ON APRIL 24TH https://onefairwage.com

Restaurants and their workers have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the crisis, food and drinking establishments were an important part of the business fabric in communities across the country, and these businesses employed over 12 million people. But as food businesses lost business, millions of restaurant workers lost work. The most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows employment in restaurants and bars has been cut in half, with industry observers estimating even greater job loss. And among those who continue to work, many still endure limited hours, low wages, and poor benefits that have characterized the industry for far too long. Food and drinking establishments have been an important source of employment for women and people of color, who are over-represented in the industry's lower paid occupations. As recent events demand attention to systems of racial injustice, we must acknowledge the interconnection of racial justice and economic justice. As we start to emerge from this crisis, can we reimagine restaurants, and restaurant work, so that workers, businesses, and communities all thrive? In this conversation we talk about ideas for business practices, public policies, and partnerships, including an innovative public/private effort that's addressing the interests that workers, small business owners, and communities all share in a thriving restaurant sector. The discussion features Nikki M.G. Cole (National Policy Campaign Director, One Fair Wage), Saru Jayaraman (President, One Fair Wage; Director, Food Labor Research Center, University of California, Berkeley), Mutale Kanyanta (Owner, LOCALS Food), Dan Simons (Co-Owner, Farmers Restaurant Group), and moderator Maureen Conway (Vice President, The Aspen Institute; Executive Director, Economic Opportunities Program). The Economic Opportunities Program's Opportunity in America discussion series is taking a pause as we all do what we can to slow the spread of COVID-19. But the conversations about the changing landscape of economic opportunity in the US and implications for individuals, families, and communities across the country remain vitally important. We hope you will participate as we bring our discussions to you in virtual formats, and we look forward to your feedback. We are grateful to the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, Walmart, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and the Surdna Foundation for their support of this series.

SPEAKERS Nadine Burke-Harris M.D., California Surgeon General; Trauma Expert Rosny Daniel M.D., Emergency Room Doctor, University of California San Francisco; COVID-19 Survivor Saru Jayaraman President, One Fair Wage; Co-Founder, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; Director, Food Labor Research Center, University of California, Berkeley Mina Kim News Anchor, KQED—Moderator In response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, this program took place and was recorded live via video conference, for an online audience only, and was live-streamed from The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on May 28th, 2020.

Eric sat down with Saru Jayaraman five weeks and a lifetime ago. Few of us fully appreciated the implications of the COVID crisis at the time, but the conversation centers on the very issues the crisis has raised around service workers and equity. Saru is an attorney and activist who is changing the way our country treats workers who are forced to rely on tips to make a living. Saru’s CV is about twelve pages long. She is president of One Fair Wage, which fights for one fair minimum wage for all workers in the U.S. (and which, by the way, has put together an Emergency Coronavirus Tipped and Service Workers Support Fund that you can look into here). She co-founded the Restaurant Opportunities Center United, she directs the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, where she is also an adjunct professor of public policy, and she has written several books, including: Forked: A New Standard for American Dining; Behind the Kitchen Door; Bite Back: People Taking on Corporate Food and Winning (to be released this month); and The New Urban Immigrant Work Force, which comes out in 2021. Saru is an extraordinary storyteller, a passionate speaker, and a fierce advocate for fairness in the food service industry. In this episode, you will be treated to a conversation that runs the gamut from how the vestiges of slavery are still supported by the restaurant industry to how food service corporations are dictating our democracy. She will absolutely knock your socks off. This isn’t an episode to skip.

Eric sat down with Saru Jayaraman five weeks and a lifetime ago. Few of us fully appreciated the implications of the COVID crisis at the time, but the conversation centers on the very issues the crisis has raised around service workers and equity. Saru is an attorney and activist who is changing the way our country treats workers who are forced to rely on tips to make a living. Saru’s CV is about twelve pages long. She is president of One Fair Wage, which fights for one fair minimum wage for all workers in the U.S. (and which, by the way, has put together an Emergency Coronavirus Tipped and Service Workers Support Fund that you can look into here). She co-founded the Restaurant Opportunities Center United, she directs the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley, where she is also an adjunct professor of public policy, and she has written several books, including: Forked: A New Standard for American Dining; Behind the Kitchen Door; Bite Back: People Taking on Corporate Food and Winning (to be released this month); and The New Urban Immigrant Work Force, which comes out in 2021. Saru is an extraordinary storyteller, a passionate speaker, and a fierce advocate for fairness in the food service industry. In this episode, you will be treated to a conversation that runs the gamut from how the vestiges of slavery are still supported by the restaurant industry to how food service corporations are dictating our democracy. She will absolutely knock your socks off. This isn’t an episode to skip.

Dani Nierenberg talks with Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley about the possible catastrophic effects that COVID-19 may pose on our country and the world.  While you’re listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.

0:08 – Coronavirus outbreak shuts down large events, how will it impact workers? Joelle Gamble (@joelle_gamble) is an economist and organizer. She is a principal at the Reimagining Capitalism initiative at Omidyar Network and is on the Board of Directors of the Roosevelt Institute. Her latest piece in the Nation Magazine is “A Survival Guide for the Coronavirus Economy” 0:18 – Saru Jayaraman (@SaruJayaraman) is the President of One Fair Wage, Co-Founder of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United), and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Saru authored Behind the Kitchen Door, a national bestseller. And her most recent book is Forked: A New Standard for American Dining. 0:34 – The US and the Taliban have penned a peace deal in Afghanistan, but the violence and political conflict continues. For more on the ongoing crisis, and how it impacts women in Afghanistan, we speak with Sonali Kolhatkar (@RUWithSonali), host and producer of Rising Up with Sonali now airing at 3 pm on KPFA Weekdays and co-director of the Afghan Women's Mission, a US-based non-profit organization that works with the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). (Photo: Women line up in Kabul, Afghanistan, 2006 / Wikipedia ) The post Out of work: COVID-19 shuts down events and schools, what should be done to help workers?; Plus: The US-Taliban peace deal in Afghanistan and impacts on women with journalist Sonali Kolhatkar appeared first on KPFA.

Food labor expert Saru Jayaraman joined us earlier this month to expose the lie of marginal productivity, and to reveal how it’s used to take advantage of workers. For the sake of time, we cut a fascinating tangent on the minimum wage and the restaurant industry from that episode, but it’s so insightful we just had to share it with you. Catch it here, with Saru and Goldy’s full conversation.  Saru Jayaraman is the Co-Founder and President of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Saru authored ‘Behind the Kitchen Door’, a national bestseller, and her most recent book is ‘Forked: A New Standard for American Dining.’  Twitter: @SaruJayaraman Saru Jayaraman: How Restaurant Workers Are Inheriting a Legacy of Slavery in the U.S.: https://bioneers.org/saru-jayaraman-restaurant-workers-inheriting-legacy-slavery-u-s-ztvz1712/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The theory of marginal product of labor says that every worker is paid exactly what they’re worth—the value that their labor generates. Employers cite marginal productivity to legitimize paying the lowest wages possible, but it’s just another trickle-down scam. Economist Marshall Steinbaum and food labor expert Saru Jayaraman join us this week to expose the lie of marginal productivity and show how it’s been used to exploit workers for centuries.  Marshall Steinbaum is an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Utah and a Senior Fellow of Higher Education Finance at the Jain Family Institute. He studies market power in labor markets and its policy implications. He was previously a Senior Economist and Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, and a Research Economist at the Center for Equitable Growth.  Twitter: @Econ_Marshall Saru Jayaraman is the Co-Founder and President of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Saru authored ‘Behind the Kitchen Door’, a national bestseller, and her most recent book is ‘Forked: A New Standard for American Dining.’  Twitter: @SaruJayaraman Further reading No, Productivity Does Not Explain Income: https://evonomics.com/no-productivity-does-not-explain-income/  ROC United Diners’ Guide App: https://rocunited.org/diners-guide/ Saru Jayaraman: How Restaurant Workers Are Inheriting a Legacy of Slavery in the U.S.: https://bioneers.org/saru-jayaraman-restaurant-workers-inheriting-legacy-slavery-u-s-ztvz1712/ Evidence and Analysis of Monopsony Power, Including But Not Limited To, In Labor Markets: https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_comments/2018/08/ftc-2018-0054-d-0006-151013.pdf Antitrust and Labor Market Power: https://econfip.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Antitrust-and-Labor-Market-Power.pdf Why Are Economists Giving Piketty the Cold Shoulder?  http://bostonreview.net/class-inequality/marshall-steinbaum-why-are-economists-giving-piketty-cold-shoulder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPEAKERS Saru Jayaraman President and Co-Founder, Restaurant Opportunity Centers; Director, Food Labor Research Center, UC Berkeley Derecka Mehrens Executive Director, Working Partnerships USA Shaw San Liu Executive Director, Chinese Progressive Association Farida Jhabvala Romero Reporter, KQED News—Moderator This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 12th, 2019.

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) (https://rocunited.org/) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, on the topic of "Justice for Restaurant Workers!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE "FORKED": https://amzn.to/2We2dZJ For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/ROCUnited https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz

Saru Jayaraman is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. After 9/11, together with displaced World Trade Center workers, she co-founded ROC in New York, organizing restaurant workers to win workplace justice campaigns, conduct research and policy work, partner with responsible restaurants, and launch cooperatively-owned restaurants. ROC now has 10,000 members in 19 cities nationwide. The story of Saru and ROC is chronicled in the book The Accidental American. Saru is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She was profiled in the New York Times "Public Lives" section in 2005, and was named one of Crain's "40 Under 40" in 2008, 1010 WINS's "Newsmaker of the Year," and one of New York Magazine's "Influentials" of New York City. Saru co-edited The New Urban Immigrant Workforce, and wrote Behind the Kitchen Door, and, most recently, Forked: A New Standard for American Dining. In this episode, Saru talks with Chelsea about the struggle for pay and decent working conditions in restaurants, the ROC’s innovative collaborations in labor organizing, and the reasons people who like good food should care about labor politics. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Saru Jayaraman is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. After 9/11, together with displaced World Trade Center workers, she co-founded ROC, which now has more than 18,000 worker members, 150 employer partners, and several thousand consumer members in over 30 cities nationwide. The story of Saru and her co-founder’s work founding ROC has been chronicled in the book The Accidental American. Saru is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She was profiled in the New York Times “Public Lives” section in 2005, named one of Crain’s “40 Under 40” in 2008, was 1010 Wins’ “Newsmaker of the Year” and New York Magazine’s “Influentials” of New York City. She was listed in CNN’s “Top 10 Visionary Women” and recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014, and a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award in 2015. Saru authored Behind the Kitchen Door (Cornell University Press, 2013), a national bestseller, and has appeared on many news programs. Her new book is Forked: A New Standard for American Dining (Oxford University Press). “There’s a lot of momentum to organize whatever way, whether it’s through a union or otherwise, just to get together and collectively demand change, because it’s just too long in coming, it has to be now.” [32:45]  – Saru Jayaraman  

Saru Jayaraman is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. After 9/11, together with displaced World Trade Center workers, she co-founded ROC, which now has more than 18,000 worker members, 150 employer partners, and several thousand consumer members in over 30 cities nationwide. The story of Saru and her co-founder’s work founding ROC has been chronicled in the book The Accidental American. Saru is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She was profiled in the New York Times “Public Lives” section in 2005, named one of Crain’s “40 Under 40” in 2008, was 1010 Wins’ “Newsmaker of the Year” and New York Magazine’s “Influentials” of New York City. She was listed in CNN’s “Top 10 Visionary Women” and recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014, and a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award in 2015. Saru authored Behind the Kitchen Door (Cornell University Press, 2013), a national bestseller, and has appeared on many news programs. Her new book is Forked: A New Standard for American Dining (Oxford University Press). “There’s a lot of momentum to organize whatever way, whether it’s through a union or otherwise, just to get together and collectively demand change, because it’s just too long in coming, it has to be now.” [32:45]  – Saru Jayaraman  

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg View columnist Barry Ritholtz interviews Saru Jayaraman, she is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. This interview aired on Bloomberg Radio.