As the sun rose over Cobb County, the sight of a deserted Waffle House on Windy Hill Road in Marietta marked the beginning of a labor unrest poised to quickly to become a touchpoint in the broader southern service workers’ movement. Employees at this location took to strike action this past Friday, pressing the need for heightened security, higher wages, and to bring an immediate end to mandatory meal deductions. In a statement obtained by FOX5 Atlanta, the Union of Southern Service Workers backed these workers as they emphatically voiced their concerns during a rally organized against what they called unsafe working conditions and unfair labor practices.
The decision to strike didn’t come lightly, especially for those who had to soon confront the risk of retribution. Starting a three-day strike, workers outlined their terms which included improved safety protocols and the wage increases they were promised last year to take effect. Central to their demands as stated at the rally was a $25 minimum wage. A detail not lost on those following the strike is the ongoing concern of delayed police responses to incidents, a point that has been a catalyst for escalating tensions. According to a Atlanta News First report, the strike was partly induced by an incident where an intruder entered the establishment and there was a lag in law enforcement’s response.
Recounting their experiences, workers shared troubling accounts of the conditions they endure. Theresa Kinard, an employee of the Marietta Waffle House, detailed a particularly jarring episode to Atlanta News First: “I had a customer rush behind the counter and push me several times. There was no incident report filed. It’s like nobody cares.” The response to her reporting the assault? The general manager allegedly laughed…