How do restaurant workers live on some of the lowest wages in America? And how do poor working conditions, discriminatory labor practices, exploitation, and unsanitary kitchens affect the meals that arrive at our restaurant tables? Jose Oliva of the national restaurant workers’ organization Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, sets out to answer these questions by sharing the stories of restaurant workers in New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Miami, Detroit, and New Orleans.
Jose Olivia will explore the political, economic, and moral implications of dining out. Increasingly, Americans are choosing to dine at restaurants that offer organic, fair-trade, and free-range ingredients for reasons of both health and ethics. Yet few of these diners are aware of the working conditions at the restaurants themselves. Highlighting the roles of the 10 million people, many immigrants, many people of color, who bring their passion, tenacity, and vision to the American dining experience, Jose Oliva sets out to raise the living standards of the nation’s second-largest private sector workforce and ensure that dining out is a positive experience on both sides of the kitchen door.
This lecture is a part of the Spring 2014 Friday Forum lecture series, “Rethinking Security: Community Approaches to Economic Development.” All lectures are on Fridays at 12:00pm in Lazter Hall, University YMCA. All Friday Forum lectures are free and open to the public.
The views expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect the views of the University YMCA, co-sponsors, or the Friday Forum committee. A sign language interpreter is available with a 72 hours notice (contact Carol Nunn at 217-337-1500). All forums are radio broadcast at 6 p.m. on WEFT 90.1 the Monday following the lecture.
For more information, visit universityymca.org/friday_forum