hot take- Unpaid labor was highly underrated. I miss it, problem was it was taken advantage of.
Cant have restaurant that stand up to pre 2010 labor laws being enforced. They were fighting in a different weight class- jacked on steroids.
There's also the aspect of free education. I wouldn't be the cook I am today if I hadn't put in some serious unpaid labor, restaurants can't afford to mentor like they used to.
Also worth mentioning, who that's been able to "work unpaid" has done anything impressive? Talent has less to do with it, more about hunger and passion. Last guy who the media wrote about thats been "staging in europe" has been sitting with an empty storefront covered in graffiti. If anything the people able to afford to not get paid, don't-they just don't work- maybe for a couple years but they realize it's too hard and their hands are too soft.
Just speaking from personal experience, but when shady pay like shift pay or my favorite "your scheduled at three so clock in then" but it's also understood that noon is when you actually start if you want to be ready for service. I was making better money then but working far more hours. in 2015 i worked at a multiple michelin star restaurant as a chef de partie, i was paid $10/hr. We would typically not be able to start until after 2 and our breakdowns were frantic with a mandatory 30min unpaid lunch break. there's no opportunity to pick up an extra shift in the later scenario because of overtime, its the only time i quit a job because I could afford it.
If its about opportunity and equalizing it for the less financially fortunate then culinary schools are the biggest exploiters in this whole industry. They charge for an inferior education compared to on the job. They have cafeterias and restaurants that students are expect to produce for, and in my experience if you're unable to produce, you're unenrolled. But if you do pay them their 10s of thousands of dollars all while making them a profit you get a certificate signed by a bunch old rich white guys. Ive yet to meet an ACF chef that can cook, bunch of hacks.
But its the Chefs pushing boundaries and developing the next generation of hospitality professionals that were the bad guys?
not true, plenty of people i've worked with have sacrificed, insurance, benefits, 401s, time off, worked two jobs, lived with roomates. if you were hungry enough and willing to make the sacrifices you could survive and work for less than minimum wage.
I view it as a way of weeding out those not truly passionate about hospitality. its not enough to just love food, or to like people. there was a time when only the cream rose to the top. true hospitality professionals. now its just plug and play, pay for praise, bullshit formulas that are really only making the scum financers money, while quality and wages are sacrificed. there were plenty of mediocre food places paying legal wages. but great cooks wanted to work for less if that meant they were educated and mentored.
I always used the analogy of BDSM sub and dom relationships. to most outsiders without proper context that looks like an abusive relationship, but to the consenting adults its what they want. unpaid stages and labor for hospitality workers isn't really different, except less cum involved. its unfortunate that L&I couldn't make exceptions like they do for agricultural workers
This is all quite a trip, but I can't say I don't know where you stand. I'm sure you're a nice guy, but framing unpaid labor as a boon to the working class (in *this* city of all places) and a tool that we can trust certain unicorn owners with is a journey I cannot join you on.
hot take- Unpaid labor was highly underrated. I miss it, problem was it was taken advantage of.
Cant have restaurant that stand up to pre 2010 labor laws being enforced. They were fighting in a different weight class- jacked on steroids.
There's also the aspect of free education. I wouldn't be the cook I am today if I hadn't put in some serious unpaid labor, restaurants can't afford to mentor like they used to.
Then you just end up empowering the people who can already afford to work unpaid. Which doesn't apply to a whole lot of very talented people.
Also worth mentioning, who that's been able to "work unpaid" has done anything impressive? Talent has less to do with it, more about hunger and passion. Last guy who the media wrote about thats been "staging in europe" has been sitting with an empty storefront covered in graffiti. If anything the people able to afford to not get paid, don't-they just don't work- maybe for a couple years but they realize it's too hard and their hands are too soft.
Just speaking from personal experience, but when shady pay like shift pay or my favorite "your scheduled at three so clock in then" but it's also understood that noon is when you actually start if you want to be ready for service. I was making better money then but working far more hours. in 2015 i worked at a multiple michelin star restaurant as a chef de partie, i was paid $10/hr. We would typically not be able to start until after 2 and our breakdowns were frantic with a mandatory 30min unpaid lunch break. there's no opportunity to pick up an extra shift in the later scenario because of overtime, its the only time i quit a job because I could afford it.
If its about opportunity and equalizing it for the less financially fortunate then culinary schools are the biggest exploiters in this whole industry. They charge for an inferior education compared to on the job. They have cafeterias and restaurants that students are expect to produce for, and in my experience if you're unable to produce, you're unenrolled. But if you do pay them their 10s of thousands of dollars all while making them a profit you get a certificate signed by a bunch old rich white guys. Ive yet to meet an ACF chef that can cook, bunch of hacks.
But its the Chefs pushing boundaries and developing the next generation of hospitality professionals that were the bad guys?
not true, plenty of people i've worked with have sacrificed, insurance, benefits, 401s, time off, worked two jobs, lived with roomates. if you were hungry enough and willing to make the sacrifices you could survive and work for less than minimum wage.
I view it as a way of weeding out those not truly passionate about hospitality. its not enough to just love food, or to like people. there was a time when only the cream rose to the top. true hospitality professionals. now its just plug and play, pay for praise, bullshit formulas that are really only making the scum financers money, while quality and wages are sacrificed. there were plenty of mediocre food places paying legal wages. but great cooks wanted to work for less if that meant they were educated and mentored.
I always used the analogy of BDSM sub and dom relationships. to most outsiders without proper context that looks like an abusive relationship, but to the consenting adults its what they want. unpaid stages and labor for hospitality workers isn't really different, except less cum involved. its unfortunate that L&I couldn't make exceptions like they do for agricultural workers
This is all quite a trip, but I can't say I don't know where you stand. I'm sure you're a nice guy, but framing unpaid labor as a boon to the working class (in *this* city of all places) and a tool that we can trust certain unicorn owners with is a journey I cannot join you on.