In this moment of a global pandemic and movements for racial justice, many realms of society are being viewed and reviewed with a new lens, including the food service industry. While people enjoy the culture and service provided by our restaurants and cafes, many establishments have an underlying system that upholds white supremacy and relies on exploitation, silencing, and job turnover. When staff try to raise issues they are often ignored, punished, threatened, or fired. It’s time for that to change.
In Providence, Rhode Island, cafe workers at White Electric Coffee shop sent a letter to the owner in June highlighting past and ongoing issues of racial and workplace justice, demanding positive action steps. The letter (see link below) was signed by 39 current and former staff, the vast majority of those who had been employed since the current owner purchased the cafe 13 years ago. Among other things, we have asked the owner to:
- Acknowledge past harm
- Learn and pay for anti-oppression training
- Hire diverse staff
- Provide living wage jobs
- Consider policies for safety and health during a pandemic and beyond
- Treat staff with respect and transparency
- Welcome collective staff proposals
- Support communities of color
Our staff and community voices have already made a difference! One thing we demanded did happen-- the shop was made wheelchair accessible (something that had been requested for years). We are glad to see that, but there’s still much to be done. We are concerned whether the owners will fulfill other promises they have already broken, whether statements showcased on social media will in fact result in concrete actions. That’s why community support is needed now.
On July 3, 2020, all the staff who had signed the letter were unexpectedly told they were laid off and that the shop would be temporarily closing. We subsequently learned that staff who did not sign the letter were to be retained to train a replacement staff who had already been hired. With persuasion, the staff laid off on July 3, as well as others who had been laid off during the pandemic, were able to secure our jobs and we are scheduled to return soon. We need your support to stand by those who have spoken up, to prevent another episode of retaliation. The shop is now set to reopen on August 1 and we are looking forward to reconnecting with our community!
We hope you have valued the lattes, conversations, and smiles we have shared over the years. We’ve come to know many of you as more than just customers and we hope you see us as more than servers. We hope you agree that addressing these issues is long overdue and are willing to help. We are in dialogue with the owners, including a planned group discussion on July 28th, and we welcome their collaboration in a process of positive transformation. We are committed to making a more just workplace at White Electric and beyond.
Thank you for your support in this effort!
Sign the petition below and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: @wecafeworkers / CUPS RI
Share the petition:
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