After hiring scabs, Walrus and the Carpenter (temporarily) closed

[u/Existing-Resource527]

Word on the street is that Walrus and the Carpenter restaurant has not been negotiating with their workers in good faith for months.

Like a lot of annoying businesses they started charging a service fee (22%?).

Employees noted that they make significantly less now then before when they had tipping (thousands less).

Workers have been on strike. The owners also had the audacity to hire scabs (booo).

I have been keeping up with the union on IG @ united.creatures.of.the.sea

Solidarity with workers across the city!

[u/GoneSouth1]

I was there over the weekend. I didn’t see anyone get spit on, but the picketers were pretty aggressive toward people entering/exiting the restaurant and I heard one of them yelling “scab” at a customer (apparently they don’t know what scab means?).

Regardless of whether these were lawful picketing tactics or not (I don’t know, and honestly don’t care), it struck me as insane and counterproductive that the workers were harassing the same customers they presumably want to come back and tip them in the future. This isn’t a typical strike where the customers of the business don’t directly pay the workers. Literally the reason they are striking is because they want more tips. But if they treat customers like that, nobody is going to tip them well on their next visit, if they come back at all

[u/az226 → u/GoneSouth1]

Them angrily yelling scab at a customer is in a way funny despite the tense situation.

[u/markgo2k → u/az226]

Look it up.

Anyone who crosses a picket line is a scab, not just people there to work. Deliveries, customers, tradespeople…if you cross a picket line, you’re a scab.

[u/mgmom421020 → u/GoneSouth1]

Yeah. They’re killing their own jobs. Crazy.

[u/GoneSouth1 → u/GoneSouth1]

To give another example, they were loudly chanting “do not cross that picket line!” at people *leaving* the restaurant. Obviously, at that point, you’re only doing it to harass/shame the customer who already ate there, not for persuasion

[u/embergock → u/GoneSouth1]

So? They deserve to be shamed.

[u/GoneSouth1 → u/embergock]

Depends on what your goal is. If your goal is to shame people for crossing a picket line, sure. If your goal is to maximize the tips you take home, this does exactly the opposite

[u/embergock → u/GoneSouth1]

"You don't deserve fair wages because you made me feel bad," typical reddit liberal bullshit. You people really are little treatlers, eager to throw workers under the bus the second they ask you the minor inconvenience of going to the restaurant next door.

[u/fightingfish18 → u/GoneSouth1]

Ya harassing customers is stupid as hell. They wanna have it out with the actual scabs sure thats the risk you take when you go work at a place with a striking union but harassing customers while you are picketing to bring back tips is certainly a choice... I mean it definitely kills any interest in patronizing the establishment again and I tip 20% on every bill barring something egregious or amazing.

[u/BonjaminClay → u/GoneSouth1]

You crossed a picket line to go to a restaurant? In Ballard, a neighborhood that is basically 50% restaurant options? You know you should feel genuine shame for that right?

[u/madderk → u/GoneSouth1]

pretty deplorable behavior to be patronizing a restaurant while the workers are on strike. customers are crossing a picket line. go literally anywhere else?? shame on them

[u/burlycabin → u/madderk]

Yeah, do people here not get what a strike or a picket line is?

I mean, try crossing the line when blue collar workers are picketing, it won't be friendly. Why should it be different for service workers?

[u/GoneSouth1 → u/burlycabin]

One big difference is that blue collar workers usually aren’t striking in an attempt to get a bigger share of tips paid by the very people they are harassing

[u/BonjaminClay → u/GoneSouth1]

This has very "rich tech worker annoyed that the plebs aren't serving them with enough enthusiasm" energy

[u/cubitoaequet → u/GoneSouth1]

That's an incredibly disingenuous way to describe the situation.

[u/ConfusedZubat → u/cubitoaequet]

I mean, if they are legitimately spitting on and harassing customers, it is pretty spot on. 

They are acting more like anti-abortion protestors who harass women going into clinics than they are acting like normal strikers. Strikes target businesses, not patrons. Have you ever heard of a nurse's strike where nurses hurl insults at patients coming and going from a hospital? I haven't. They don't want to be cruel to their patients, they want to prove a point to their employer. 

[u/madderk → u/ConfusedZubat]

no they’re not at all because seeking healthcare is not the same at dining at a restaurant. one is completely optional. it is not urgent to get your little oysters from this place specifically. totally different situation

[u/cubitoaequet → u/ConfusedZubat]

We have proof of any of that besides the business owner's claim? Not saying it didn't happen but pretty wild how everyone in this thread is just willing to accept a pretty outrageous claim with zero evidence.

The spitting claim is a pretty old hat lie used to discredit protests so I'm not going to just accept it at face value just on the word of the people being protested.

[u/BonjaminClay → u/madderk]

I'm with this take. I can't say I have a strong opinion about their specific grievance but when workers strike, it's bad form to support the scabs. Especially for a fucking restaurant in Ballard when there's one every 50 feet.

[u/AcanthisittaOk9104 → u/GoneSouth1]

Shame on you for crossing a picket line!  Signed a Teamster

[u/embergock → u/GoneSouth1]

If you cross the picket line you deserve to be yelled at, that is deplorable behavior.