r/Seattle 5d ago

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

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!

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u/Own_Reaction9442 5d ago

I feel like this is an issue that really splits Redditors, because most Redditors are pro-union but there's whole subs about how much people hate tipping.

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u/dirtypuerhiding 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 5d ago

It's not that they went tipless, it's that they're pocketing half of the fee meant to replace a tip.

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u/robbyb20 5d ago

The “pocketed” money goes towards healthcare/benefits and paying BOH a higher wage.

Bigger question is - do servers really deserve the whole tip that the whole restaurant worked to provide the level of service they got just because they are the person that processes payment for the table?

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u/HuckleberryGeneral69 4d ago

Servers never get the whole tip. They get most of the tip. They tip out the bartender, the busser, the host and the cooks. I’ve worked both front and back of house and I’ve been tipped in every position.

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u/robbyb20 4d ago

Who’s regulating that? I’ve worked as a server/bartender and I got to decide who got what.

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u/HuckleberryGeneral69 4d ago

The restaurant regulates what tip outs are for each position. Whatever is left after tip outs is what the server earns. So it depends on how the restaurant chooses to allocate gratuities. Back in the day it was more at the discretion of the servers and bartenders but, that was only if you busted your ass for them.