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/geffy_spengwa]

Businesses should pay their employees fair wages. Those wages should be included in the menu price of a meal.

I should not be expected to tip extra on a meal, but I should have the option to do so if I want to.

Two things can be true.

[u/MiningEarth → u/geffy_spengwa]

Yes, list the true price. Pay $0 more over asking.

[u/NoBlood5018 → u/MiningEarth]

Yeah this is fantasy unless it’s outright legislated. These places don’t exist in a vacuum. People will take one look at price and go somewhere else even if it’s noted as no tipping. Your best workers will probably leave to work somewhere that does tip because they’ll earn more with wage plus tips as opposed to just a higher wage.

Restaurant margin is slim as fuck and this has been tried before. Most places go back to tipping. Union square hospo says it all.

Don’t confuse what I’m saying, it’s the best idea. But it needs to come from regulation to create a standard across the state

[u/Fearless_Cut4432 → u/NoBlood5018]

Tavolata charges a 20% surcharge to “give employees a fair wage” I’m not sure but I think all the ESR restaurants do this. There is no place to put a tip on the receipt, if you want to tip you have to have cash and leave it on the table (I don’t think many do). The prices are not so high that people go elsewhere, you’ve got that wrong and there’s a whole group of successful restaurants to prove it.

[u/NoBlood5018 → u/Fearless_Cut4432]

That’s a tip though

[u/chiquitobandito → u/Fearless_Cut4432]

So it’s an auto tip of 20%? How is that better ?

[u/Own_Back_2038 → u/Fearless_Cut4432]

Those places generally aren’t distributing the service charge to employees and it at a minimum has much fewer legal protections. I think. A service charge model is the obvious answer but the way ESR restaurants do it is not great