Waging Change weaves together two female-driven movements that reveal an American workers’ struggle hidden in plain sight -- the effort to end the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 for restaurant servers and bartenders and the #MeToo movement's efforts to end sexual harassment. The film shines a spotlight on the challenges faced by restaurant workers, 70% of whom are women, trying to feed themselves and their families on tips and the growing movement to end the tipped minimum wage, spearheaded by Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC-United). That the federal tipped minimum wage has remained at $2.13 an hour since 1991 is due to the power and influence of a trade lobby, the National Restaurant Association, known as the "other NRA". Through the personal stories of workers in Chicago, New Orleans, Detroit, and elsewhere, we come to see and experience the everyday challenges these workers face in trying to make ends meet, clarifying the need for One Fair Wage in the 43 states that do not require restaurants to pay their workers minimum wage.
- Year2019
- Runtime61 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorAbby Ginzberg
- CastJane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Saru Jayaraman
Waging Change weaves together two female-driven movements that reveal an American workers’ struggle hidden in plain sight -- the effort to end the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 for restaurant servers and bartenders and the #MeToo movement's efforts to end sexual harassment. The film shines a spotlight on the challenges faced by restaurant workers, 70% of whom are women, trying to feed themselves and their families on tips and the growing movement to end the tipped minimum wage, spearheaded by Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC-United). That the federal tipped minimum wage has remained at $2.13 an hour since 1991 is due to the power and influence of a trade lobby, the National Restaurant Association, known as the "other NRA". Through the personal stories of workers in Chicago, New Orleans, Detroit, and elsewhere, we come to see and experience the everyday challenges these workers face in trying to make ends meet, clarifying the need for One Fair Wage in the 43 states that do not require restaurants to pay their workers minimum wage.
- Year2019
- Runtime61 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorAbby Ginzberg
- CastJane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Saru Jayaraman