Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United)

12/04/2024

When you support ROC United’s Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights, you're advocating for restaurant workers. We listened to thousands of restaurant workers nationwide about what issues they had in the workplace and created this legislation to honor, protect and respect them.

ROC’s Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights spells out what we believe in, but really, restaurant workers wrote it!

ROC’s Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights outlines a right to thriving wages and a thriving life, the right to healing and rest, the right to a safe and dignified workplace, the right to universal healthcare and bodily autonomy, and the right to participation in governance.

Your financial support will help us implement the RWBOR nationwide! Consider a donation today! Head to bit.ly/ROCGivingTuesday to make a donation!

12/03/2024

Nearly 14 million restaurant workers—primarily women, people of color, and immigrants—count on restaurant jobs in urban and rural America. Yet, many of them still earn as low as $2.13 per hour, continue to face discrimination and injustices at work, and are two and a half times more likely to live in poverty than other workers.

ROC has been at the forefront of the fight to transform restaurant work by raising wages, securing new rights and expanding benefits. ROC United members advocate for livable wages and workplaces that are fair, safe, inclusive and accessible, pathways for advancement, and equitable benefits. But we can’t do this work without financial support; help us raise $500,000 by the end of the year; donate via bit.ly/ROCGivingTuesday

12/03/2024

This Giving Tuesday, we want to thank you for your support and share just some of what it has helped us accomplish during the last 12 months.

After years of advocacy, legal battles, and collaboration with our coalition partners, funders, donors, allies, and friends, ROC Michigan compelled the Michigan Supreme Court to raise the state minimum wage to $13.66 an hour and provide paid leave for all workers. As of February 21, 2025, restaurant workers will start making a minimum wage of over $13.66 and earn up to 72 hours paid sick leave.

To donate, head to bit.ly/ROCGivingTuesday

12/03/2024

Today is Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to radical generosity. Your gift will support our mission to improve restaurant workers’ lives by building worker power and uniting workers of various backgrounds around shared goals and values.

More than 12 million people count on restaurant jobs for their livelihoods. Yet, this massive workforce often struggles with low wages, sexism, racism, wage theft, and unsafe, harmful working conditions. Restaurant workers are two and a half times more likely to live in poverty than workers in other industries. ROC United members advocate for livable wages and workplaces that are fair, safe, inclusive and accessible, provide pathways for advancement, and equitable benefits.

ROC United is a growing, diverse membership of 65,000 current and former food service workers who are mostly women, people of color, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQIA community. Together, we imagine a future where the restaurant industry embodies shared prosperity, ensuring a life where every restaurant worker thrives. A donation of any amount today brings us one step closer to that goal.

Help ROC United support restaurant workers this Giving Tuesday!

11/15/2024

Right now the Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) is trying stop restaurant workers from getting a raise, falsely claiming that if employees get any type of a raise, customer will stop tipping.

We know the truth is that tipped wages are different in just about every state, but customers still tip the same - because they want good service! Tell us what it's like where you work - wages, tips, and your overall experience. It's time we set the record straight with the MRA.

11/05/2024

Today's the day! Check out rocunited.org/voterguide before hitting the polling place, especially if you live in Alaska, Arizona, California, Nebraska, or Missouri.

11/03/2024

We’re taking part in the Day of Action on November 4! is one of the most supported and impactful policies we could pass—and no one should have to choose between their family and their work, their health and a paycheck. Join us!

10/31/2024

What's scarier than no sick leave?

Not feeling like you can use it.

The assumption that restaurant workers will work a shift while sick, or even have to find their own coverage while sick, has got to go.

Scroll through to read some terrifying real-life examples of restaurant worker's experiences with sick time.

What's your worst experience working while sick? Spill it in the comments 🤮

10/29/2024

Forty-eight percent of restaurant workers have to go to work sick or just...not get paid.

You've lived this horror story. No one should have to choose between their health and their paycheck. Plus, it's a public health issue.

So what can we, as restaurant workers, do about it?

VOTE • ORGANIZE • GET INVOLVED • CHANGE THE CULTURE

Swipe through to learn more!

10/27/2024

Voter Registration Deadlines: Week of October 27 and beyond. Check out or vote.org for more info.

*Colorado's mail/online registration deadline is October 28, but you can register in-person same-day to vote early or on November 5.

*Hawaii's mail registration deadline is October 28, but you can register in-person or online same-day to vote early or on November 5.

*Washington's mail/online registration deadline is October 28, but you can register in-person same-day to vote early or on November 5.

and read our whole voter guide at bit.ly/ROCvotes

10/26/2024

Alright labor nerds, listen up. 🤓

The OSHA heat standard is entered into the Federal Register, which means the general public can comment on the proposed protections. This moment has been a hundred+ years in the making, and is the furthest a proposed heat standard has ever gotten (there have been multiple!).

So turn the pages of the history book (or idk, swipe thru this post?) to learn A Brief History of the Heat Standard: Upton Sinclair, Richard Nixon, and Your Chance to Make History.

And fill out our quick restaurant worker survey at bit.ly/HOTROCsurvey so we can help enshrine these protections for all workers!

🤓

10/26/2024

November 5 is simply the *last* day to vote.

Read on to see your options for in-person early voting!