Waffle House workers gathered in downtown Atlanta on Friday night to address workplace issues they say they have faced at the Georgia-based restaurant chain.
What are Waffle House employees demanding for better work conditions?
Workers rallied alongside the Union of Southern Service Workers outside a Waffle House in Centennial Park, demanding immediate workplace changes, including a $25 hourly wage, an end to automatic meal deductions and 24/7 security at all locations, according to Atlanta News First and People’s World.
“People don’t always tip and even when they do, we don’t get all of our tips…they go on our paychecks, they’re taxed,” employee Katie Giede said.
Additionally, workers said they frequently face harassment from customers, which they cited as another reason for demanding safer workplace conditions.
“You have people coming in who are inebriated, harassing employees … particularly a lot of the women felt unsafe,” Dr. Joseph Jones, a representative of Clark Atlanta University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy, said, per Atlanta News First. His comments come as the institution has conducted a study examining workplace complaints.
One Waffle House worker said the work environment is ‘deplorable’ and ‘horrible’
The rally took place just one month before Atlanta’s FIFA World Cup kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, located less than a mile from the Waffle House protest site. During the event, speakers highlighted the economic challenges facing low-wage workers, including rising costs and housing insecurity. Meanwhile, labor advocates and elected officials connected workers’ demands to broader political and economic issues.
One of the workers involved in the demonstration was Billy, a server and grill operator for the company for nearly two years. He spoke about his experience working for the multibillion-dollar company.
“The conditions that Waffle House workers are under are deplorable and horrible,” he said at the event, per People’s World.
Workers with Jobs for Justice and unions, including IUPAT and the Teamsters, also rallied outside the Waffle House location, vowing to return as they continue pushing for better workplace conditions.
“We’ll be back,” they said.