Last week, the Executive Director of DC Jobs With Justice and a good friend of mine, Elizabeth Falcon gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I of course had not expected it, but Elizabeth wanted to thank me for what I did the day before. I have never received flowers in my life. I honestly had never thought I would want to get flowers, but I felt really honored.
You see, on Tuesday of last week Elizabeth walked into the Festival Center, which is where DC Jobs With Justice is housed, and she and others with DCJWJ began gathering to come down to the Wilson Building – DC’s City Hall – to lobby Councilmembers and their staffs to support restaurant workers. I was in my usual place at the front desk and I could immediately sense that something was wrong; something urgent was happening. So, when Elizabeth turned to me and asked me to come with them, even before I really understood what was going on, I was all in. Elizabeth is one of THE best advocates and organizers in all of DC so I tend to do what she asks. I trust her.
So, the night before a vote which would have gotten rid of hidden fees on restaurant bills – the kind of fees that consumers hate and that wind up taking money from restaurant workers because people think they might be tips – the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), which is the lobby for restaurants in DC, convinced the Chairman of the Council to slip in confusing amendments. This occurred literally just hours before a bill, which had passed through committee, was set to be voted on by the entire Council, and which was expected to pass.
Legislation that had been fought hard for by restaurant workers because it protected their hard-earned money was about to be undermined by a powerful lobby. The legislation was good for workers and for consumers. The legislation had had hearings, been debated in committee, and passed out of committee and was ready to be voted on.
Hearing the way this had all gone down, I was angry. I was angry at what powerful lobbies do against people-centered campaigns for justice. Whether it is RAMW, police unions, defense contractors, the NRA, or whoever, I have seen it too many times. Too many times good legislation that protects the rights of workers, that creates accountability for the police, that takes money from creating war and instead invests in the leadership of local communities to meet local needs, or that creates even the slightest barriers for just anyone to own an assault weapon – I have seen good legislation far too often get undermined by powerful, big-moneyed interests.
And besides, showing up is the easiest and my favorite thing to do!
The truth is, my part that day was easy! I walked around the Wilson Building with superstar organizer Eduarda Serafim who works with DC Jobs With Justice and we went office to office while Eduarda passionately advocated for the rights of restaurant workers. She was amazing to watch. My role? I handed out the information sheets and turned on my southern charm like hot molasses rolling off warm buttered biscuits (can you hear my Texas twang?).
Yep, showing up is easy. I was honored they asked me to go with them and despite not doing much, being there obviously meant something to my friends at DC Jobs With Justice. The bill did not pass, but neither did the sneaky amendments. And for the first time in my life I got flowers. Showing up is always worth it.
