ROC-Seattle hosting Restaurant Industry Summit on Thursday

SEATTLE — The Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) of Seattle invites all local restaurant and hospitality workers to a Restaurant Industry Summit this Thursday, Oct. 29 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Comet Tavern, 922 East Pike St. in Seattle. Join Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant and ROC United Co-Founder/Co-Director Saru Jayaraman for question-and-answer session about the most pressing issues facing Seattle’s restaurant industry. (Click here to RSVP or get more details.)

Seattle has a well-earned reputation as a national leader in implementing progressive policies that improve working conditions for low-wage workers. With city ordinances allowing all workers to earn paid sick leave, setting limits on the utilization of conviction and arrest records in hiring, and raising the minimum wage towards a living wage, Seattle is making great steps towards being a model of high-road employment.

But new research conducted by the ROC-Seattle for its report, “Behind the Kitchen Door,” explores serious workplace issues being faced by restaurant workers in the Seattle area.

Thursday’s Restaurant Industry Summit will bring together diverse stakeholders including employers, restaurant workers, advocates, and policymakers to discuss the report’s important implications for the Seattle’s economic development, public health, and employment.

For more information, email ROC-Seattle’s Rachel Dehn.