ROC NY Gender Discrimination Report
Report Further Reveals Systemic Gender Discrimination
As Wal-Mart faces the largest class-action sex discrimination case in U.S. history, a report by the New York City Restaurant Opportunity Center reveals pervasive gender discrimination in the New York City restaurant industry. A crowed of ROC NY members, elected officials, community members and labor representatives packed the La Palapa restaurant for the release of “Waiting on Equality: The Role and Impact of Gender in the New York City Restaurant Industry.” Just as the Wal-Mart class-action suit went from six employees to over one million, the shared experiences of restaurant workers collectively reveals institutional and systematic discrimination. “I did not realize there were so many women having similar experiences,” said Chantel George, member of the ROC NY.
“Although women account for 38.1% of the industry’s workforce, they are largely under represented in the highest paid positions,” according the report. ROC NY documented a “gender tax” in which women make 21.8% less than men in the same positions and with similar skill sets. Further inequality in the industry occurs based on position and type of establishment. While women are under represented in the industry and excluded from some positions, women of color are overly represented in the fast food industry. Pervasive instances of sexual harassment were another major finding of the report. “The thing I liked about it was that it was very social, because of the social aspect of the job there is a blurred line in terms of appropriate behavior,” said Michelle Dent ROC NY member who started working in the restaurant industry when she was 14 years old.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers experience similar systematic discrimination as women workers. Derek Williams joined ROC NY after the release of “Beyond the Kitchen Door,” ROC’s report on racial discrimination. He became part of the women’s committee and a gay and lesbian focus group. “Sexual harassment is very prevalent, there are no guidelines, people think they can automatically over step their boundaries,” said Williams. “To change discrimination against women you have to change the thinking of men,” Williams challenged men “to step up your game, to be more open minded to women’s issues.”
“The good news is that we have options,” Dent urged other restaurant workers to “have the strength to tell someone what you are experiencing.” If you are experiencing discrimination you can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Spencer Lewis, Director of the New York District EEOC explained that an individual can file a complaint and they also have the power to conduct an investigation without a charge by an individual. Organizations like ROC NY can help workers who are experiencing discrimination file a complaint. Rehka Eanni Rodriguez, Co-director ROC NY emphasized that the best way to improve conditions is to unite workers together to demand justice. “the power is with you,” she imparted.
“Waiting on Equality: The Role and Impact of Gender in the New York City Restaurant Industry,” provides employers and policy makers with recommendations to prevent discrimination in the restaurant industry. ROC NY works with high road employers like La Palapa who hosted the release. “Today what we try to provide is an open door policy…Respect peoples potential, hire from within, promote and mentor,” said Barbara Sibley, co-owner La Palapa. ROC NY urges restaurants to communicate and adopt clear policies, pay a living wage and provide benefits to employees as a means to create a work environment that is less conducive to for discrimination. The report recommends that policy makers enact legislation that would incetivize or mandate on going sexual harassment trainings, support job training programs, publicly support model employers, collective organizing and to initiate or further study to true cost of discrimination. Rosemonde Pierre-Louis Manhattan Deputy Borough President applauded the report, stating that, “what is most striking about this report is that what is described in this report can be applied to many industries.” The class action sexual discrimination case agianst Wal-Mart is just one example, hopefully the release of this report will lead to more workers demanding freedom from gender and racial discrimination in their work places.
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