2:13 x 2,000+

February 19, 2014

We asked supporters to take just 2 minutes and 13 seconds last week to support fair wages for workers, including many tipped workers who get paid as little as $2.13 per hour. The response has been extraordinary.

In a matter of days, 2,320 UUSC supporters signed our message to the Darden restaurant company, asking Darden to support an increased minimum wage and paid sick days. And more than 200 supporters called the Senate as well, to tell them it’s past time to give minimum wage workers a raise.

The timing couldn’t have been better. The New York Times ran an exposé on February 9 titled “Fight Over Minimum Wage Illustrates Web of Industry Ties.” The article reveals how the restaurant industry is funding reports that criticize increasing the minimum wage. And these same reports are then used by the restaurant industry to lobby Congress to keep wages low. Restaurant industry lobbying is one reason that many tipped workers are paid as little as $2.13 per hour and why Congress hasn’t increased the minimum wage for tipped workers in 23 years.

The Darden restaurant company is a major player in the restaurant industry. If we can convince Darden to support increasing the minimum wage, we could shift the industry as a whole — and that would change the conversation in Congress. 

We are gathering signatures on this petition to Darden throughout the spring, in preparation for an in-person delivery to Darden in Providence, R.I., in June. We need to get thousands of signatures on this statement to Darden to get their attention, and we’re off a strong start.