ROC Seattle

ROC Seattle is a chapter of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United), a national organization dedicated to improving wages and working conditions for the nation's 11 million restaurant workers.  

The Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York was initially founded by Fekkak Mamdouh and Saru Jayaraman after September 11th, 2001 to support restaurant workers displaced by the World Trade Center tragedy. Since then, ROC United has grown into a national organization with 18,000 low-wage restaurant worker members, 200 high-road employers, and thousands of engaged consumers united to raise restaurant industry standards.

ROC Seattle is especially focused on racial segregation in the full service restaurant industry.  We welcome workers, owners, consumers, and allies to volunteer with us to build equity and opportunity in Seattle's restaurants.

The ROC-United model involves ‘surrounding the industry’ by simultaneously:

1. Engaging workers through job training, leadership development, legal support, and policy advocacy;
2. Engaging owners through our employer association, RAISE, offering a peer network of like-minded restaurant employers following the high-road to profitability; and
3. Engaging consumers through Diners United to mobilize diners in support of high-road employers and policy solutions.

In Seattle, you can take action to support our national #1FairWage campaign, and our local racial justice work through the Occupational Desegregation Project.  Activities are varied and depend on your interests, time and abilities.  Please contact us for more details!