Mom's Siam workers might be out of a job
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Around a dozen workers at Mom's Siam restaurant in Carytown have been attempting to negotiate for better wages and working conditions — and now it looks like some of them might be out of a job.
What's happening: Mom's Siam closed for more than a week in the middle of the negotiations and reopened last week with a new, smaller staff, the Times-Dispatch reported.
- The organizing workers haven't been formally fired, but they've all been left off the schedule.
Catch up quick: A month ago, Workers Siam (the group of workers) made public a list of demands for a better workplace.
- The group had been trying for months to present these demands privately, a spokesperson told The Virginia Worker, a pro-union blog.
Their demands, according to their Instagram:
- Minimum $12 an hour for servers and $15 an hour for bartenders, food runners and hosts.
- Hiring a third party accountant for tip sharing.
- Guaranteed annual raises of 50 cents an hour.
- Promotion opportunities after six months for hosts and runners.
- Better shifts and scheduling.
Two weeks later, owner Sukanya Pala-art agreed to the annual raises and increased pay rates for everyone but the servers, according to their Instagram.
- "I run a small business. I cannot pay $14-15 per hour for servers with tip. I don’t run a Starbucks. I’m not a chain or a franchise," Pala-art told the Times-Dispatch.
The latest: The workers filed an unfair labor practice claim, per the RTD.
- They're now asking for severance pay and to be rehired, according to their latest Instagram update. Workers Siam did not respond to a request for comment.
Worth noting: Workers Siam hadn't officially unionized. A majority of employees need to agree to a union before one can be officially formed, according to the Department of Labor. Workers Siam only included some of the front of the house staff and none of the kitchen staff, per The Virginia Worker.