ROC-LA believes that we can transform the restaurant industry through providing legal support to workers, conducting research and policy, and working with employers who are doing the right thing in the industry. We have a round table of model employers who possess model practices including training and promotion from within, providing benefits such as paid vacations, health care, or paid sick days, starting above the minimum wage, and providing wage increases.
ROC-LA works with about ten employers. Each week we will highlight one of our high road employers so that consumers are aware of which restaurants to support.
· Good Girl Dinette
· LOCAL Restaurant
· Chimu Peruvian Soulfood
· Homegirl Café
· Mama’s Hot Tamales
· Craft Los Angeles
· Chaya Restaurant Group
· The Hungry Cat
· The Gorbals
· Pacific Dining Car
FIRST UP! LOCAL Restaurant (Owned by Jason Michaud)
ROC-LA has to give props to the very first employer who has been there for ROC-LA from the beginning – Jason Michaud.
LOCAL is committed to using locally sourced and organic ingredients in nearly every aspect of their menu and dining experience. Even their take out packaging is 100% biodegradable. This is only one of the MANY great things about Jason’s model employer practices. There are many “green” restaurants who have environmentally conscious practices, but totally neglect their workers.
At LOCAL, Jason’s front of the house employees benefit from wages that start at $10 per hour with tips. His cook earns $16 per hour and his night chef earns $42,000 a year. LOCAL’s dishwasher earns $10 per hour plus tips. There are 13 employees, almost all who have been with LOCAL since it’s opening 3 years ago. Jason has also worked out an informal paid sick days policy where workers are encouraged to stay home sick and will still be able to earn their share of the tips. For the monolingual employees at LOCAL, Jason offers to pay for their ESL classes as well as pay them for their shifts to encourage them to learn English and move up in the restaurant industry.
How does this affect YOU, the consumer? Would you want to eat a dish that was made by someone who was sick because he or she couldn't afford to take time off? I hope not...
How does this affect YOU, the consumer? Would you want to eat a dish that was made by someone who was sick because he or she couldn't afford to take time off? I hope not...
When you dine at LOCAL, you are supporting not only locally sourced foods and our environment, but you are also supporting the workers who work in a restaurant that is setting a precedent in the industry. Not many large restaurant companies pay their cooks above $13 per hour even if they have been there for over 10 years. If LOCAL Restaurant can do it, so can rest of the larger industry.
LOCAL Restaurant
2943 W. Sunset Blvd. in Silverlake
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