PRWA STATEMENT

Image provided by the New York Times

Our response to an op-ed written by the The Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette titled “Restaurants need our help now”

It is not lost on Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid that the restaurant and hospitality industry is struggling during the COVID-19 crisis. In fact, most of us have felt the impact of restaurant restrictions deeply. Many restaurant workers are still out of work or only partially employed at a fraction of our previous earnings.

Those of use who have returned to work have found an environment greatly changed: masks, social distancing, the labor of increased sanitation measures, a decrease in tips and hours, and the likelihood of contracting a potentially deadly virus. Financial assistance has almost but disappeared as our government leadership struggles to approve critical relief. Meanwhile, our notoriously low wages, benefits, and workplace protections have remained stagnant.

When we see restaurant owners asking for relief, it is understandable that they want to save their businesses. We are also invested in the survival of our workplaces. Yet, when owners are asking for financial support from all levels of government, coupled with begging for restrictions to be relaxed so that they can continue to operate and bring in profits it has workings asking:

Will this support grant employees hazard pay for their work during a global pandemic? Is there relief so that employees receive paid sick leave in the event that they need to quarantine or recover from illness? Are owners taking every measure to allow their staff to safely interact with their coworkers and the dining public? Will regulations protect the health and safety of workers, or does concern stop with our paying diners?

When owners say they don’t see a way to survive under the present conditions, neither can their employees. We need a solution that supports and protects us all.