The youth of the Southwest Workers Union gathered at the Bill Miller Bar-B-Q on the corner of S. Santa Rosa Avenue and W. Durango Boulevard at 10:30 a.m. this morning to protest the company for shortchanging their employees on San Antonio's south, east and west sides.
About 25 protestors proudly displayed signs markered with demands of equal pay for all, as they handed out green flyer's titled "The tea isn't so sweet at the infamous Bill Miller...". The flyer said the restaurant's employees on the east, south and west sides of town receive starting pay of $6.50 to $7.50 an hour, while employees on the north side of town receive starting pay from $8 to $9 an hour.
The SWU said the difference in pay is linked to the north side of town as being predominately Caucasian and the east, south and west sides largely consisting of Mexican Americans and/or African Americans.
At 11:00 a.m. the protestors marched inside restaurant's dining area and cheered in unison for equal rights. The three female employees behind the counter and the customers dining in looked bewildered. Some people smiled in amusement, while others kept eating.
Two on lookers said they were annoyed by the disruptive display.
"Nobody needs to do this," a female customer said, "If you don't like your job, go find another one. We're just trying to eat."
The protestors passed out more flyers with a list of demands for equal pay and asked restaurant customers to sign the back of the page if they agreed with them. The signed flyers are to be distributed to Bill Millers personnel.
Shortly after the protestors left to demonstrate at another restaurant location, a police officer appeared on the scene. Management refused to comment, but they appeared suprised by the demonstration.
Sandra Garcia, SWU member, said she wanted to put a campaign together when her intern who worked at the barbeque restaurant told her that employees on the north side of town were being paid more to do the same work.
"I called every Bill Millers in the city, asking what they would start me out at as an employee," Garcia said. "I saw disparity."
Fifty-four of the Texas chain's 67 restaurants are located in the San Antonio area.
According to the company's Website, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q prides itself in offering more than minimum wage to all its employees and strives to hire only above average people.
Although unscientific, the data from Garcia's phone survey will surely have many San Antonians asking Mr. Miller exactly what consititues being "above average" when it comes to pay.
from SA Current
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TAKE ACTION!!
SEND A FAX LETTER TO BILL MILLERS DEMANDING JUSTICE FOR YOUNG WORKERS!!!
BILL MILLER MAIN OFFICE
Phone: (210) 225-4461
Fax: (210) 302-1533
Web: Contact
BILL MILLER PERSONNEL DEPT.
Fax: (210) 302-1512
Web: Contact
COMPLIMENTS / COMPLAINTS / SUGGESTIONS
Fax: (210) 302-1533
OR WRITE US AT:
Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, Inc.
Our Demands
- Just Wages for workers at every location starting at $9.00
- An end to discrimination against youth of color
- Equal pay for equal work across the city
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