Transcript Organizational Mission and Accomplishments

Organizational Mission and
Accomplishments
Although initially founded after September 11, 2001 to provide support to restaurant workers
displaced as a result of the World Trade Center tragedy, the Restaurant Opportunities Center of
New York (ROC-NY) has grown to organize restaurant workers all over New York City for improved
working conditions. Over the last five years,
ROC-NY has won eight campaigns against exploitative employers, winning over $580,000
in unpaid wages and discrimination payments, and has been able to win considerable
workplace changes.
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We were instrumental in organizing restaurant workers to ensure that they were included in
the New York State minimum wage increase. We also published a groundbreaking report on
the restaurant industry,
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From this research, we formed the first Restaurant Industry Roundtable, a regular
convening of ‘high-road’ restaurateurs, which won a Mayor funded restaurant owner education
program and has developed a joint code of conduct to promote good working conditions in the
industry.
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We have been able to successfully organize 50 restaurant workers to open their own
cooperatively-owned restaurant, COLORS, and were able to introduce the Responsible
Restaurant Licensing Act into City Council.
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We have been successful in creating a truly multi-racial organization by engaging immigrant
and nonimmigrant people of color in genuine common campaigns for workplace justice.
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Description of the Project
ROC-NY is initiating a new Restaurant Worker Health Project.
The project will include three components:
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a restaurant worker health and safety peer education
program;
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a regular program of health fairs and clinical exams for
restaurant workers;
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and a policy initiative to develop the leadership of restaurant
workers so that they may educate policymakers about the
need for greater regulation of restaurants on occupational
safety and health issues.
We will base these programs on an initial health
assessment of at least 200 restaurant workers. The program
will be staffed by four key personnel on the ROC-NY staff,
and will take place over a three-year period.
Overview of the target
population(s) and community
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More than 70% of all
New York City
restaurant workers
are immigrants from
Latin America, Africa,
Asia, and the Arab
world, and
approximately 40%
are undocumented.
Census Race Breakdown
NHWhite
24%
Hispanic,
Any Race
38%
NHBlack
11%
NHAsian
22%
NHOther
5%
161,508 restaurant workers in NYC, 99%
non-union
Goals of the project
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1) Understand the extent and nature of low-wage immigrant
workers’ health resource and information needs;
2) Educate workers about their occupational health and safety
rights and about free or low-cost health programs for them to
access;
3) Offer free health exams and services to low-wage immigrant
restaurant workers; and
4) Develop the leadership of several low-wage immigrant
workers so that they may voice their health needs and concerns
to local policy-makers. The program will help low-wage
immigrant workers by educating them about health resources
and their occupational safety and health rights, providing actual
health services to these workers, and increasing their ability to
influence policy changes to improve their occupational health
and safety conditions.
How people benefit
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1) campaigning against exploitative restaurant companies;
 We won more than $ 580,000
2) educating local legislators about the need for good policy;
 Intro 569
3) ensuring COLORS’ success and training the worker-owners to be
citywide advocates for workers’ rights; and
 40 workers owners
4) conducting research and policy campaigns on discrimination and
health and safety in the restaurant industry.
 publications that exposed rest. Workers issues to national
attention