The High Cost of Cheap (Ethnic) Food

A friend of mine brought an article to my attention about the worth of a banh mi (traditional Vietnamese sandwich).  In these times, consumers are discount-crazy and driven by GroupOns, LivingSocials, TravelZoos, and every kind of discount they can get their hands on. When it comes to ethnic food, consumers often believe that there is a maximum cost to what the dishes should cost

The article, Upscale Banh Mi Food Fight: The Spice Table vs. ink.sack, by Tien Nguyen in LA Weekly talks about $8 fancy banh mi sandwiches and mentions how people flock to San Gabriel Valley for the cheap banh mi and how in certain places its worth paying $8 for a sandwich and not others (ie. San Gabriel Valley). Well, there is an extremely high cost to cheap ethnic food.

I ran my parents’ Vietnamese restaurant for nearly 2 ½ years in San Gabriel. I knew the owners in the neighborhood, I knew their menus, their profit margins, and sadly, their labor costs.  I will have to take some time to do the calculations, but I am almost certain that labor accounts for maybe only a small percentage of their business costs. Those 2 for 1 deals at $3 also means the worker is getting paid less than minimum wage working 12 hours a day with no breaks or overtime.  It not only impacts the livelihoods of the workers, but their children who are raised with poverty wages.

Consumers, you and me, really have to reconsider our framework of thinking on the worth of a burrito, taco, banh mi, pupusa, samosa, or a plate of chap chae.  When you look at the food you’re eating, I hope you can also see the lived experiences of the workers who cooked, prepared, and served your meal.

In new report, region-wide coalition in LA indicts county transit agency for blocking economic recovery for Latino, Black and low income transit riders, calls for strong federal intervention

Labor unions, civil rights, environmental, public health, and housing organizations say LA is an important test case. Will the Federal Transit Administration step in to stop LA MTA from threatening economic survival for entire communities?

Against the backdrop of a federal civil rights review of the Los Angeles County MTA, a broad coalition of 14 organizations has released a scathing indictment of the agency’s record.  The report, Transit Civil Rights & Economic Survival in Los Angeles: A Case for Federal Intervention in LA Metro, describes how LA MTA’s policy of slashing service while raising fares has had a devastating and discriminatory impact on unemployed and low wage workers, students, immigrants, seniors  and differently abled people.

“With transit service being slashed and fares increasing nationwide, LA is an important test case. Will one of the nation’s largest transit agencies be allowed to impose civil rights harms on its own Latino, Black, and low income riders in the middle of a major economic crisis?” said Guillermo Mayer, a leading transit civil rights attorney with Public Advocates, Inc, one of the reports co-authors. “We applaud the Federal Transit Administration for reviewing this situation. This report demonstrates that federal intervention must be strong and swift.”

Because LA is one of the cities hardest hit by the Great Recession, cuts to transit make economic recovery especially arduous for Black and Latino communities dependent on mass transit. “In Los Angeles country alone, African Americans are facing a 19% unemployment rate while Latinos face 14% unemployment. We know that in these hard economic times, people have lost their homes, their vehicles and are trying to save on gas,” said Laphonza Butler of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers.  “We cannot raise prices and reduce services while attempting to encourage more Angelenos to use public transit. It’s counterintuitive and only harms students, working people and those trying to find employment.”

Among the co-authors of the report are public health and environmental justice organizations concerned about the impacts of transit cuts and fare increases impact on health and well-being.  Martha Arguello, Director of the Los Angeles chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, said, “When bus service cuts make it hard for people to get to medical appointments, jobs that feed their families, and schools, it’s an attack on their health and their rights. And in the worst-polluted city in the US, Metro’s policies have driven down mass transit use, and the health effects of more cars on the road are devastating for low income children and families. ”

Barbara Lott-Holland, a bus rider for 35 years and Co-chair of the Bus Riders Union, stated, “The tragedy of the MTA policies over the last four years is that they roll back almost all of the transit improvements – namely more buses, more bus lines, and lower fares – that MTA implemented under federal court order in response to the BRU’s civil rights lawsuit and 10-year federal consent decree.”  The Bus Riders Union’s class action lawsuit against MTA led to a 10-year court-ordered agreement known as the Consent Decree that forced the agency to invest nearly $3 billion in a bus system with a ridership that is very low income and 90% people of color. “We not only need strong intervention, but also real leadership from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the MTA Board to stop the bleeding, restore bus service, and guarantee that all Angelenos – regardless of race or income – participate equally in LA’s economic recovery.”

The co-authors of the report are: Bus Riders Union, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, Communities for a Better Environment, East Los Angeles Community Corporation, Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, Los Angeles Community Action Network, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles, Public Advocates Inc., Restaurant Opportunities Center – Los Angeles, SEIU-United Service Workers West, SEIU-United Long Term Care Workers, Southeast Asian Community Alliance, Strategic Action for a Just Economy, and Urban Habitat.

Download the report: http://tinyurl.com/3wd3hl6. Pitch Engine: http://tinyurl.com/3hdhttj.

High Road Highlight: Good Girl Dinette

Nearly all of Good Girl Dinette’s food is locally sourced because owner, Diep Tran, has a commitment to food justice. Good Girl Dinette is a Vietnamese restaurant, a gem in Highland Park, with a menu that includes her Vietnamese and American upbringing that is representative of the experience of many 2^nd generation Vietnamese Americans.  Diep cares about the environmental impact restaurants have on the community and she is bringing back the way Vietnamese produce and ingredients was made – straight from the mother earth.  Like many local and organic restaurants, Good Girl Dinette has received coverage on their local sustainability efforts. However, aspects that often get overlooked are the restaurant employer practices.

Diep genuinely cares about her employees.  Good Girl Dinette was a high road restaurant even before Diep knew it. Starting at $10 per hour with wage increases, Diep’s back of the house employees are making living wages, which is highly unusual for small family style restaurants.

Diep does not discriminate in her hiring and promotion practices. Often, new and upcoming restaurants will discriminate in their hiring practices to seek a certain “look” for the restaurant.  Because of the diversity of the restaurant, there is a strict zero tolerance for offensive comments that are racist, sexist, or homophobic. Diep embraces and encourages a strong harmonic environment.

Good Girl Dinette has also opened up their space to fundraise for countless organizations. Well over thousands have been raised for non-profit and grassroots organizations since its opening in 2009.

ROC MD - health care cooperative for restaurant workers

Great news ROC-LA! ROC-United started a low-cost health care cooperative, ROC M.D., to provide low cost access to primary health care for uninsured Los Angeles restaurant workers. Some members may qualify for 3-months of care at no cost. Read more below:  How does it work? ROC-LA has partnered with St. John's Well Child and Family Center (St. John's) and Korean Health, Education, Information & Research (KHEIR) Center to provide primary care, basic dental care, and therapy. The cost of ROC M.D. for individual restaurant workers is only $20 per month plus $5 for ROC-LA membership dues (total of $25 per month).         We recently received a grant to cover 3 months of membership access to ROC M.D. Thus, for the first year, you would only pay for the first 9 months of coverage, and we will cover the remaining 3 months.  When you enroll, your coverage will be effective the first day of the following month--meaning if you enrolled any day in October, then your coverage would become effective November 1.  Once your coverage is effective, you may call St. John's to make an appointment to see a doctor.  What exactly does ROC M.D. and $25 per month cover? Primary Care: annual physicals, urgent care for colds, the flu, and other common illnesses Dental Care: annal oral examinations, cleaning, fillings Therapy: up to 7 sessions with a therapist Medication: low-cost medication When can you enroll in order to qualify for 3 months of coverage? Please respond and let me know which information & enrollment session you would like to attend. There will be an information session and enrollment on: Wednesday, October 12th at 8:30am Tuesday, October 18th at 4:15pm Monday, October 24th at 9:30am Who qualifies for ROC M.D, and how do I get 3 months' access paid? Any ROC-LA restaurant worker member who does NOT have health insurance can enroll in ROC M.D, regardless of immigration status. To be a ROC-LA member, you must attend an orientation and a workers' rights workshop in order to enroll in ROC M.D. To qualify for 3 months' free access, only ROC-LA restaurant worker members who are undocumented and/or do not qualify for public programs (Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, LA CARE, Healthy Way LA, etc.) can receive 3 months of coverage for free. However, any ROC-LA restaurant worker member can join ROC M.D., even if you do not qualify for 3 months of free access. What makes ROC M.D. comparable to other public programs? ROC-United is dedicated to improving the access to healthcare and the health outcomes of restaurant workers in Los Angeles. As a member of ROC M.D., you will be assigned a permanent doctor who will follow-up with you on your health conditions and track your health improvement. When you call to make an appointment, you will be able to schedule and see a doctor that week, or whenever medically necessary, because St. John's has reserved patient slots for our members. Thus, you should never have to wait to make a first appointment. E-MAIL CATHY AT cathy@rocunited.org to RSVP for one of the information sessions.

Los Angeles High Road Round Table features LOCAL RESTAURANT

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...

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

http://silverlakelocal.com/

Fighting for PAID SICK DAYS! Join us!

Join ROC-LA members and staff on a SICK WORKER RIDE from Downtown LA to La Cienega Blvd. and 18th Street to educate the public and other restaurant workers about the lack of PAID SICK DAYS. We will ride the Metro Rapid #733 Bus from Spring Street and 7th Street down Venice Blvd, then walk to the Farmers Market on La Cienega and 18th Street. While we ride the bus, we will hand out flyers and brochures on ROC-LA and educate commuters about our Paid Sick Days Campaign. We encourage everyone to wear restaurant worker attire and act and look "sick" by wearing a sign identifying oneself as a sick worker. Props will be provided.

SICK WORKER BUS RIDE
FROM DOWNTOWN LA TO LA CIENEGA FARMERS MARKET
Thursday, August 18, 2011
2:00pm to 5:30pm
 Start: Spring Street and 7th Street
End: La Cienega Blvd and 18th Street
PLEASE RSVP IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND.

New healthcare co-operative for ROC-LA members!

We're excited to announce that we are starting up our new, low-cost, national health care co-operative! ROC-LA is teaming up with St. John's Well Child and Family Center to start the Restaurant Worker Health Care Cooperative (RWHCC), offering our members access to primary care, dental care, mental health counseling and other services. This is the first restaurant worker health cooperative that provides more than primary care in the nation!

We have an orientation and an enrollment for the cooperative on  Tuesday, June 7th and every Tuesday in 2011 (RSVP IN ADVANCE IS REQUIRED - email cathy@rocunited.org to RSVP). For more information on the health care cooperative, please come at 11am for orientation. Enrollment is from 11:45am-1pm. Come to 634 S. Spring St, Los Angeles.

How the health care cooperative works:
- You pay $10 per month into the cooperative and will be able to access services such as physical exams, mental health counseling, or annual dental check-ups.
- Beginning July 1, 2011, you will be able to access services at any of the ten St. John's Well Child and Family Center locations.

To enroll:
- You must be a member of ROC-LA
- You must be currently working in a restaurant or actively be looking for a job at a restaurant
- You must pay ROC-LA membership dues and the health care co-operative dues