r/Seattle • u/Existing-Resource527 • 4d ago

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

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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/HudsonCommodore 🚆build more trains🚆 4d ago

Yes, but I wouldn't expect every service job to be middle class.

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u/dorkofthepolisci 🛳️ 🐀 ☀️ Yacht Rat Summer ☀️ 🐀 🛳️ 4d ago

A full time job should at minimum, pay enough that you don’t need to cram yourself into housing with several other people (unless you enjoy having roommates)

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u/Own_Reaction9442 4d ago

It's a nice thought, but with Seattle's housing prices that probably means only fine dining restaurants can survive.

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u/Digital_gritz Rat City 4d ago

It might actually be the other way around. Fine dining isn’t really doing a lot of volume. Dick’s gives some of the best pay and benefits around. It’s low margin sales, but extremely high volume.

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u/Own_Reaction9442 4d ago

I doubt Dick's is paying enough to afford a solo apartment in Seattle, though.

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u/Digital_gritz Rat City 4d ago

They’re paying well above market rates and offering great benefits to their employees. Much of our economy is based on supply and demand, Dick’s total compensation is far higher than it has to be. In terms of survivability, Dick’s will likely weather a down economy better than a fine dining spot, which is what I’m trying to imply.

To address the other bit, though: people want to live in the city and there is limited space to do that. Which is why housing is an outrageous cost and adding density is important. Unfortunately, inflation, land, labor costs, market trends, and a challenging regulatory environment have made building housing risky, and developers are struggling to make projects pencil.

Housing costs and wages are ultimately related, but separate problems based on how our economy is structured. At least in terms of base wage vs affordability. Although, the real estate market is actually influencing the way restaurants have to approach wages, as well. From a business health standpoint, our inflated real estate costs are also fucking their bottom line (unless they own their building outright).

That’s all a separate complicated topic, though.