Restaurant Opportunities Centers United

EMPLOYER WORKER EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT The School of ROC training was established to ensure all staff are thoroughly prepared for their current and future roles at ROC, as well as the expectations for these roles are clearly defined. Recognizing the importance of building power through workforce development and narrowing the digital divide among restaurant workers, most particularly Blacks and Latinos who cant even afford to have firsthand access to the internet, ROC President CEO Sekou Siby was selected as one of the National Skills Coalition NSC new board members. Between April and June, at least 69 workers from NY, MS, CA, MI, D.C., and LA graduated from COLORS Hospitality Opportunities for Workers CHOW, ROCs workforce development program that provides professional training for front- and back-of-the-house workers. These CHOW courses, including baking and bartending, have given our graduates new skills that will make them more competitive in the food and service industry.

RESEARCH AND POLICY While restaurant workers are still dealing with the effects of the pandemic, ROC United released the report, Impact of COVID-19 on restaurant workers across America. The findings were based on surveys of more than 1,000 restaurant workers, conducted in 2020 and 2021. Over 100 restaurant workers submitted stakeholder comments to OSHA in support of a proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention rule after viewing our TikTok posts to BeatTheHeat. Democracy Forward submitted a comment on behalf of ROC United to encourage OSHA to promulgate a rule to protect restaurant workers from unbearable heat and unsafe working conditions through the creation of federal heat safety standards. As part of the Safety Net for All SN4A coalition-made up of over 150 immigrant and workers rights organizations across California-ROC Bay Area organized and helped collect more than 25,000 signatures.