Activists Seek Better Conditions For Restaurant Workers

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)At dinnertime one day last week, Daniel Rosove called for the manager at Ulla Bistro on U Street in D.C. Rosove didn't want to complain; he wanted to give her flowers - and deliver a message. "This is for you and your workers," Rosove told the manager as he handed her the bouquet. The message was that he was part of a campaign to bring attention to a loophole in Washington's 2008 law that guarantees paid sick days to anyone who works in the capital - the exception being restaurant workers who receive tips. The campaign, called "Paid Sick Days for All," was sponsored by Jews United for Justice, the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Washington, D.C., and the D.C. Employment Justice Center. Organizers timed their activities to coincide with Restaurant Week, when the city spotlights its many eateries. In addition to delivering flowers, participants also canvassed in popular dining areas, talking to diners and collecting more than 500 signatures for a campaign petition. - excerpted from David Holzel’s August 22 report in Washington Jewish Week; photo of JUFJ organizer Monica Kamen (at left) gathering petition signatures by David Holzel