Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers at Some of D.C.’s Best-Known Restaurants Move to Join UNITE HERE

Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here's today's story.

Staff at five different prominent restaurants owned by some of Washington, D.C.'s biggest restaurateurs went publicwith their efforts to join UNITE HERE Local 25 last week.

Workers at Le Diplomate, St. Anselm and Pastis-owned by Stephen Starr's
Starr Restaurants-and Rasika Penn Quarter and Modena-owned by Ashok Bajaj's Knightsbridge Restaurant Group-are fighting for better scheduling practices, higher pay and respect on the job.

"The status quo in restaurants is that anything goes as long as the guests are happy, and I've personally witnessed some unfair treatment, a little bit of cultural insensitivity," said Pablo Zuniga, a server at Le Diplomate. "Having a union would place us in a better position to have mutual respect from management, no matter your background, no matter your race, your gender identity, or your language."

Tags: Organizing