In commemoration of the 4th anniversary of the NYC restaurant shutdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic, One Fair Wage (OFW) organized a poignant memorial honoring the more than 12,000 restaurant workers who passed due to COVID-related complications. Amidst the remembrance, OFW unveiled their latest report, ‘Always Essential, Still Waiting for Change’, shedding light on the persistent inequalities plaguing the industry: escalating wage theft, widening racial and gender pay disparities, and pervasive harassment, particularly targeting women of color. Testimonials from workers like Tamara, a trans and workers’ rights advocate, vividly captured the struggles endured, spotlighting the dissonance between being labeled ‘essential’ yet unable to afford life’s essentials. Tefa, OFW’s national co-organizing director, recounted her own brush with COVID, emphasizing the heinous disregard for workers’ well-being. Despite the sobering realities, OFW’s co-founder Saru Jayaraman imparted a message of hope, rallying support for the One Fair Wage Bill (A1710/S5567) as a crucial step towards dismantling the systemic injustices perpetuated by subminimum wages, affirming that change is not only imperative but attainable through collective action.
