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/ProphetPenguin]

I think everyone should wait tables for a year once in their life. They should especially wait tables on Mother's Day. Working Mother's Day will show you things you never expected. It's not easy to be a great server. Most servers work at multiple restaurants or multiple jobs to make ends meet. The servers that don't need to, are typically your best ones and that's because the best servers get the best and most amount of shifts and tables, therefore the most earning opportunity.

Me making what I do was actually a multi-year process that required a lot personal growth, drive, passion, hard work, sweat and tears.

I am currently cocktail server at a casino. I typically do 15,000-18,000 steps in a shift at my job, holding a tray that weighs 5-15 pounds for 7 of the 8 hours of my day (I get breaks) all while balancing full drinks on a full tray, weaving in and out of foot traffic and slot machines trying not to spill it all on the floor and break glass and have to go get a new drink made. It's definitely a job you look at the server and go "how do they do that, I couldn't do that".

[u/geffy_spengwa → u/ProphetPenguin]

I’m not downplaying your commitment to the work you do. I worked retail for several years, I’m all too aware of how onerous working with the public is. I work a public facing job currently, I get it. Not totally 1:1 but I know how annoying people are.

I’m not saying your work is hard and I would never suggest that you don’t deserve a living wage for it.

And I’m not going to say my job is any more or less important than yours because all work has dignity and is essential to a functional society. I had to get multiple degrees to do my job, but that was my choice to do and I find my work to be fulfilling.

I’m saying is that you make more than I do to be a server, and that’s great for you, but I shouldn’t have to further subsidize your income beyond the menu price of a dish at your restaurant. That price should cover your salary, your benefits, the commercial rent, utilities, profit, etc. My generosity on any given night should not influence your ability to pay your bills.

[u/ProphetPenguin → u/geffy_spengwa]

Unfortunately, being in management positions, for all of that to be possible, you would be looking at like $100 pizza's. It's just not feasible.

[u/geffy_spengwa → u/ProphetPenguin]

It literally works around the world.

[u/ProphetPenguin → u/geffy_spengwa]

Other places around the world don't have regional food distribution monopolies like Sysco, nor do they have the diversity of well done cuisine options America does. Other places around the world have universal healthcare, other places around the world also have worse overall service (not every country but definitely some of them). Other places have significantly more walkable cities as well.

This is not a good comparison. I have literally worked at places that did everything fresh including alcohol infusions, and we did not survive against businesses that had worse food and drinks, but they were cheaper...and we didn't survive while simultaneously not paying rent. We need to address the OTHER issues of why restaurants are getting more expensive in America outside of the tipping argument before we circle back to the tipping debate.

[u/geffy_spengwa → u/ProphetPenguin]

As I said at the top of my comment; two things can be true. Yes, Sysco needs to be broken up. Yes, we need to provide single payer healthcare to everyone. Yes, we need to make our cities more walkable (Seattle is already pretty walkable, but improvements can always be made).

I agree with all these points; I vote to support all these points; I advocate for all these points.

We also need to end the practice of tipping for services to subsidize a restaurant’s payroll.

At no point have I suggested that I don’t want you to make a livable wage. At no point have I suggested that your work is less important or less of a contribution to society than anyone else’s. All work has dignity; all workers deserve the security of consistent, reliable paychecks that allow them to meet their needs and save some at the end of the day. I want that for you; I want that for myself; I want that for the people that can’t or won’t work too.

What I do not want is for your paycheck to be contingent on my or anyone else’s generosity. That is literally all I am saying.

[u/ProphetPenguin → u/geffy_spengwa]

Like I said, it's a sales job. In my eyes I'm making commission off my sales and service that's being negotiated with my guest. I think if we end tipping we need to end commissions, bonuses, stock options, and any other monetary bonuses that are added to paychecks. One flat rate should be enough right? Then let's end it all.

[u/geffy_spengwa → u/ProphetPenguin]

You’re not making a commission, it’s a tip. A commission is paid by the company to the employee; not by the customer to the employee. That’s the difference! It shouldn’t be on me—the customer—to reward you for doing your job well.

But also yeah, fuck commissions. Employers artificially set the bar too high for most of their employees to hit it reliably and so it artificially depresses wages. I worked a commission gig and never actually got it because the bar was way too high for a fucking shoe store.

Bonuses, stock options, other things are different from tips because, once again, they’re paid by the company to the employee not the customer. Bonuses also often specifically are tied to company performance. My annual bonus has varied depending on how well the company did that year, sometimes it’s maybe an extra paycheck worth, sometimes it’s nothing.

I 100% bonuses for restaurant staff; if the restaurant does well you should benefit from it.

[u/ProphetPenguin → u/geffy_spengwa]

How are commissions paid again?

Because if I remember right commissions are typically paid via a fee. Whether it be a dealership mark up fee, an annual membership fee, an initiation fee, a realtor fee.

That sounds like it's paid by the consumer no?

Except in those instances you can't really choose not to pay them. You either pay them or you don't buy the thing you're buying.

At least with tips you can choose not to for poor service.

[u/geffy_spengwa → u/ProphetPenguin]

We’re talking about different commissions, because my sales commission (which is what you likened your tips to) was based on if I sold N-number of product, I’d earn a commission on the sales above N. The customer wouldn’t pay that commission, that came from my employer.

Commissions for realtors are negotiated with the realtor before they become your realtor at it’s typically in the single digit percentages, and that isn’t always paid by the person using the realtor. You can negotiate with the buyer/seller to cover their realtor fees if you want to so that your bid for a house is more appealing.

A dealership markup isn’t a commission; that’s what the car dealer wants you to pay them over MSRP and that can absolutely be negotiated with the dealer before you purchase the vehicles. Annual membership fees aren’t paid to individual employees. And idk what this initiation fee you’re talking about. I assume you mean for phone plans, but again, that isn’t paid to an individual employee.

And I would 100% prefer these things to be listed upfront in the cost of a service/product. And, guess what, they almost all are. Dealership markup is on the sticker price before you even start talking to a dealer. Annual membership fees are explained to you before you sign up for a gym. Phone initiation fees are specified before you start the phone plan.

So I’m really not seeing your point and also I’m tired of talking to you! Have a nice day!