New Research on Low Wage Jobs in Food Service
As a project of UNITE HERE, one of the main objectives of the Stir It Up campaign is the fight for economic justice in university food service.
So, when the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) issued a finding stating that ‘food preparation and serving’ work is one of the two fastest growing occupations in the country, it piqued our interest. This type of work is typical of university dining operations.
This, of course, is a set up for the bad news:
Food preparation and service is also one of the lowest paying occupations in the country. Its median wage of $8.28 per hour is only slightly below half of the national median wage of $15.95/hour.
The following EPI graph of the fastest growing occupations illustrates this stark difference:
Though sobering, the statistic on food service workers’ wages does not come as much of a surprise. Food service—university dining included—has been a historically low paying industry. That does not mean that it is doomed to continue as such, however.
As we move into the fall months, workers and students will be standing together to address the injustices that they see on their campuses. This blog will provide regular updates as these struggles unfold.
