ROC United’s efforts to defend our democracy

As ROC United faces significant funding cuts, we urgently need your financial support to maintain our programs seeking to reduce and end occupational segregation nationwide.

Hours after being sworn in for his second term, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that threatened to terminate all equity-related grants, and the next day, he issued another anti-DEI executive order. As a result, ROC United was ordered to cease all work on federally funded programs focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Trump’s anti-DEI orders have caused chaos, fear, and confusion in restaurant workplaces and across cities and communities. In response, ROC United, along with representatives from higher education and the City of Baltimore, filed a federal lawsuit to challenge the termination of DEI initiatives.

As ROC United faces significant funding cuts, we urgently need your financial support to maintain our programs seeking to end or reduce occupational segregation nationwide and ensure all workers have access to successful career ladders within the industry. These initiatives include:

- Know Your Rights training and seminars

- Workforce development programs, such as CHOW classes, aimed at improving workers’ skills and increasing their incomes

- Training, education, and research to mitigate the harmful effects of extreme indoor heat in restaurants

- Sexual harassment training, education, and research to address and reduce Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in the restaurant industry

- Organizing efforts to raise wages and improve working conditions

- Efforts to combat wage theft

At ROC United, a cornerstone of our mission is to eliminate occupational segregation and ensure all workers have access to career advancement in the restaurant industry. While our workforce development classes are open to all, the majority of participants are Black and Brown women and immigrants, along with other workers who have been denied opportunities in the restaurant sector. 

Our research highlights significant discrimination in the industry, which denies women and workers of color access to the most lucrative opportunities. Women make up the majority of the workforce and over two-thirds of servers, yet they hold a minority of the highest-paying positions in major cities. Black workers account for over 12% of the industry but only 5% of bartenders, one of the most profitable roles in this sector. Additionally, in states where the tipped minimum wage is just $2.13 an hour, women in the restaurant industry face much higher rates of sexual harassment because their income depends on pleasing customers for tips. Tipped workers rely on customers to pay their bills, creating a power imbalance where workers feel pressured to tolerate inappropriate behavior to avoid losing income. 

Any contribution, no matter the amount, is greatly appreciated and will bring us closer to achieving our mission and assisting those individuals whose Constitutional rights are under threat.

Thank you.