Restaurant Opportunities Center

Local filmmakers Kaila Johnson, Kimberly Charles, Nicole Cuervo and Richard Salamé have put together a great 10 minute documentary about the tipped minimum wage and the devastating impact this has on waitstaff. The film focuses on Moira Walsh and her son Malcolm, and she frankly discusses a life lived on low wages and about the sexual harassment she faces on her job. In the film we see Walsh embrace the life of an activist, fighting for workers’ rights and fair pay.

Rick Salamé, writing on behalf of all the filmmakers, said, “We have Moira Walsh to thank for everything good about the documentary. She is an inspiring person and a powerful worker-leader. We hope her resilience, bravery, and strength can energize many more people as it has energized us. We hope we have done her, and everyone fighting for One Fair Wage, justice. And we look forward to seeing real justice soon.”

You can watch the entire film here:

The film features a host of front line activist stalwarts such as Michael Araujo, Evan McLaughlin, Adrienne Jones, Casey Sardo, Jesse Strecker and Keally Cieslik.

“We made this documentary to bring attention to an unjust and painfully under-talked-about policy we have in Rhode Island and most other US states,” said Salamé, “The subminimum wage is a deeply flawed way of paying people: it makes it nearly impossible for workers to plan their lives; it exposes workers, especially women workers, to unnecessarily high rates of sexual harassment from customers and employers; and by asking every customer to decide on the worth of their server, it exposes workers’ livelihoods to racist, classist, and sexist prejudices.”

People looking to join this fight are encouraged to reach out to RI Jobs With Justice on their website or on Facebook, and also the Restaurant Opportunities Center, at their website or Facebook page.

The Rhode Island Progressive Democrats of America (RIPDA) are holding their annual fundraiser Thursday, September 17 from 5:30-8:30pm at Ogie’s Trailer Park, 1155 Westminster St in Providence. This year, they’re honoring Mike Araujo of the Restaurant Opportunities Center and the One Fair Wage Coalition with the Progressive Hero award.

In Rhode Island, Democrats have near total control over the state government, yet we see almost none of the economic advantages that other blue states, like neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut, enjoy. Our General Assembly will not pass reasonable gun legislation, moves to prevent cities and towns from raising the minimum wage, passed the biggest tax cuts for the rich in the nation, slips anti-reproductive rights legislation into the budget at the eleventh hour (preventing real discussion around the issue) and is the only Democratically controlled legislature in the country to have passed voter ID.

In short, our Democrats are political and economic conservatives and on core issues of concern to progressives, have more in common with the national Republican Party than the national Democratic Party platform.

That’s why RIPDA’s voice is so important and deserving of support. They are the conscience of a political machine in Rhode Island that would much rather be unbothered by thoughts of the poor and vulnerable. They consistently fight back against the worst abuses of state government, and they do so with virtually no funding, just the dedicated work of a gung ho group of volunteers.

Mike Araujo, honored this year with the Progressive Hero award, worked tirelessly to eliminate the tipped minimum wage, which unfairly discriminates against women and opens them to sexual harassment in the workplace. After a year long battle the tipped minimum wage was increased for the first time in decades, meaning there is still much work to be done, and you can bet that Araujo will be leading that fight. He’s also a terrific speaker and advocate.

So come on down to Ogie’s Trailer Park Thursday night and enjoy some fine food and fine company. Think about joining the RIPDA and moving the Rhode Island Democratic Party out of the hands of neoliberal blue dogs and into the hands of the working class, where it belongs.

There’s work to be done, and the RIPDA is doing it.

Order your tickets here.

Tag: Restaurant Opportunities Center

What They’re Owed – terrific local short documentary on the tipped minimum wage

Don’t miss the Progressive Dems annual fundraiser!