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Possible Immigrant Boycott May 1st, 2006 - The Traditional Communist Holiday "May Day"


Poivrot Farci

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Monday, May 1st 2006 (the traditional Communist holiday May Day) is being called the “Great American Boycott”, a nation-wide immigrant general strike. Immigrants and others are encouraged to boycott work, school, sales and buying as a example of solidarity against HR 4437 and Anti-Immigrant Legislation. Therefore, diners and restauranteurs should support the pursuit of amnesty by being understanding of restaurant closures and respectful of employee participance in the strike.

In layperson terms, regardless of your view on immigration, there will be considerable disturbances in the food service industry on Monday and you might want to avoid eating out.

It comes as no surprise to anyone who works in the food industry how important immigrants and migrant workers are to everything from harvesting food, slaughtering, delivering, preparing, cooking, serving, cleaning...virtually every step of how food goes from raw state to your stomach and beyond.

Those who believe that immigrants are a drain on society don’t realize the magnitude of migrant workers in this country and the work they do, often unsavory, for low wages that ensure lower costs for YOU the consumer. Everyone wants everything for cheaper, and sadly, many of us do not have the financial liberty to be idealistic. Without immigrant workers, food would reach markets at higher prices and ultimately restaurants would have to relay the elevated cost onto the customers from there on, making restaurants a luxury.

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My restaurant opened 5 and a half years ago and I don't think that at any given time the staff has been less than 85% foriegn born. Many of my employees are very nervous about the proposed legislation. They always seem too come up with a good excuse for not attending mandatory restaurant meetings but somehow a huge percentage of them marched to the Capitol last week. I have been trying to convince my employees that there is no way that the government can deport millions of people and expect the economy to survive but they are really fired up about the May 1st strike(huelga). They seem to have a real sense of solidarity for the strike.

The propaganda for the strike is that the immigrants will flex thier muscle by not spending any money that day. I am telling my employees thats fine but they will still be eating food that they paid for the day before and will lose a days wage. I am hoping that I will be able to personalize the issue with my employees but if it keeps growing legs I may be bussing tables and washing pots May 1st. Thank God it's a Monday!

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This topic is more political than gastronomical, and asking "foodies" to refrain from dining in restaurants on May 1st because of potential service issues is asking them to tacitally support the boycott.

Yes, the restaurant industry provides jobs to many legal and illegal immigrants. So do a lot of other industries.

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[i'll allow this thread to continue, but will only allow postings relating to restaurants and the food industry, not the general situation. There are many other discussion boards where you can voice your full political opinion; it has no place here. Cheers, Rocks.]

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My restaurant opened 5 and a half years ago and I don't think that at any given time the staff has been less than 85%  foriegn born. Many of my employees are very nervous about the proposed legislation.  They always seem too come up with a good excuse for not attending mandatory restaurant meetings but somehow a huge percentage of them marched to the Capitol last week.  I have been trying to convince my employees that there is no way that the government can deport millions of people and expect the economy to survive but they are really fired up about the May 1st strike(huelga).  They seem to have a real sense of solidarity for the strike. 

The propaganda for the strike is that the immigrants will flex thier muscle by not spending any money that day.  I am telling my employees thats fine but they will still be eating food that they paid for the day before and will lose a days wage. I am hoping that I will be able to personalize the issue with my employees but if it keeps growing legs I may be bussing tables and washing pots May 1st. Thank God it's a Monday!

If it was up to me, I'd tell you to close the restaurant and stay home with your feet up. If you will indeed have to be open that day, you might find some volunteers on this board to help you out. This has nothing to do with agreeing or disagreeing with the current legislation on the table or the situation in general; rather, it is coming to the aid of a friend in need.

Remember, though: If you don't ask, you don't get. :)

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I'll bet I win the award for stupidity for attempting to go to El Patio in Rockville today.

It also explains why the line for Chipotle was out the door so early today for lunch.

Something tells me their staff, almost entirely immigrant at the employee level, got a rather firm message from corporate.

I sense this message self-destructing in 5,4,3,...

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The Daily Grill offered a limited menu today in "honor and support of their employees".    The Tabard Inn did not serving lunch (nor are they serving dinner).

Noticed a note while walking past the door of Johnny's Half Shell on Saturday that said something to the effect that they were choosing to close today in support of the protest.

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I'll bet I win the award for stupidity for attempting to go to El Patio in Rockville today.

I tied you for attempting La Sirenita in Glen Burnie today. Though, halfway there, I did think about it, and call to confirm that they were indeed closed.

G&M Crabcakes in Linthicum was a perfectly reasonable alternative, though. :)

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I notice that there are claims that these places are closing in support of the protest. Is that the case or are they clsoing becuase they have no other choice becuase they have no staff. Also what about the ones that are opened are they just better prepared ?

I think you are being extroadrinarily judgemental. Some places have no or few immigrants in the kitchen. Some places have threatened to fire staff if they don't show up for work. Some places have intimidated their staff to come in.

The ramw is sending out instruction to its member restaurants telling them how to fight the boycott. I guess that is being prepared. At least they are not fighting non smoking ordinaces, or fighting against regform of health care or worker's comp to make it better for the employees who serve and make your food every time you dine out. This demographic, despite paying huge amounts of taxes as a group are very likey uninsured- immigrant or not.

I had some staff wanting to work, but the overwealming group did not. I could have tried to stay open and probably done an OK job of it. But instead we decided to close to support my staff. I had to call a very good customer and tell them I could not honor their reservation for 12 tonight because of our decision.

Call it what you will. But I think that for an outsider to make, even in question form, a judgement on a business, beyond weather they want to go there or not, is unseemly in an extroardinary circumstance. It is easy to engage in name calling rather than face up to the difficult issues raised by the boycott. My staff feels pretty damned bad that I am forced to close but they also feel like they have to do this to improve the lot of their lives. If that makes us worse prepared.... so be it! I for one will be sleeping well tonight!

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Also what about the ones that are opened are they just better prepared ?

Seems like that can be taken to mean that the ones closes are not prepared hence he name calling. It came from your statement.

Are you closing anytime soon to protest the war ?

It seems that your own words can apply...

Where did that come from ?
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The McDonalds on 17th caddy corner to the White House was closed today. It's somewhat ironic considering the number of people I saw who were leaving the protest this afternoon hoping to grab a bite to eat there.

Over at Old Ebbitt they apparently "had CEO's slapping together sandwiches today during lunch." Old Ebbitt gave their workers who wanted it the day off and were working on a skelton crew hoping not to get slammed this evening.

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I think you are being extroadrinarily judgemental.

I think VAFoodNut raised some legitimate questions that should not be so quickly dismissed.

I guarantee there are restaurants that closed today because they had to, and not because management is "supporting the boycott."

Cheers,

Rocks.

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I guarantee there are restaurants that closed today because they had to, and not because management is "supporting the boycott." 
But what's to be gained from the discussion? I think the issues Dean raised are interesting, especially regarding taxes and health insurance. Whether certain restaurants are "better prepared" and therefore didn't have to close, not so much.
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I think VAFoodNut raised some legitimate questions that should not be so quickly dismissed.

I guarantee there are restaurants that closed today because they had to, and not because management is "supporting the boycott." 

Cheers,

Rocks.

I COULD have stayed open. I could have intimidated my kithcen management staff and enough people to have a skeleton crew and be open. I could have "hoped not to be slammed" as the COE's chose to do at Old Ebbit. I could have compromised my product. But I chose not to. That's it. You can spin it how you wish, but the decision to close the restaurant was mine.

Of course I would not have closed the restaurant unless there were a boycott. Just like no one on this board would be talking about the effect of it unless there was one. That's why my people felt it was necessary to do. No one on this board was with me when I had the meeting with the kitchen crew and told them of my decision. No one on this board was part of the decision making process.

I can take the cristicism of the folk on this board about my restaurant, but to have someone say that restauarants that stayed open "are they just better prepared" is someone from the outside my business being judgemental.

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"are they just better prepared"

By being better prepared, is Vafoodnut suggesting that all establishments within the food industry have an entirely non-immigrant staff? Perhaps in Ron Burgundy’s world, but my experience (restaurants at least), reminds me that be they Sri Lankans in Paris, Chinese in San Francisco or Salvadorians in DC, immigrants have been the backbone of all labor driven societies since Babylon. Warm, diligent bodies who are paid lower wages than the status quo due to their limited language skills and education make available to us everything from the remotely affordable California strawberries and almonds we buy at Whole Foods, to the degustation menus that we enjoy at highbrow restaurants frequented by members of this forum.

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Monday, May 1st 2006 (the traditional Communist holiday May Day)  is being called the “Great American Boycott”, a nation-wide immigrant general strike. 

There were mixed feelings in the Hispanic community as to whether this is a good idea or not. But in any case, May 1st, May Day was the traditional worker's holiday long before there were any such thing as communists. It was because it is the traditional worker's holiday that the Communists in the Soviet Union chose it as a national holiday. Learn a little history about worker's rights and their struggle for them.

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May 1st, May Day was the traditional worker's holiday long before there were any such thing as communists. It was because it is the traditional worker's holiday that the Communists in the Soviet Union chose it as a national holiday. Learn a little history about worker's rights and their struggle for them.

Karl Marx co-authored the Communist manifesto in 1848 and Duck Soup in 1933.

The Bolshevik revolution was in 1917 though Plato’s republic was chiseled onto marble back in the 4th century BC and allegedly made references to private ownership of property. I have not read it. Its all Greek to me, hey-yo! (Insert laugh track).

As for May Day/International Worker’s Day, I understand it to be the celebration of the Haymarket Riot of May 4, 1886 in Chicago. In 1884 The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions sought to establish an 8 hour work day to become effective May 1, 1886. A general strike and riot ensued and so did the 8 hour work day as we know it. All the events seem to take place within 60 years of each other.

Заколебал. Мне насратъ, что тъо думаешъ.

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