On Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson attended a Black Women's Pay Equity Day celebration.
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NewsTranscript
00:00All right, all right, all right. Hey, how's everybody doing this afternoon? That's good.
00:09My name is Nataki Rose, and I'm One Fair Wage National League organizer. Today we are celebrating
00:16Black Women Equal Pay Day. And I'd just like to thank everybody for coming and showing
00:27up for us today and celebrating and lifting up black women today in their wages in the city of
00:36Chicago. So right now, I'd like to thank Peyton, the owner of Truth Restaurant for letting us be
00:46here. Peyton is the small business owner. And I'd like to, is Peyton here? Okay, okay. And I'd like
00:58to thank Ms. Moye, Ms. Yvette, come up here, please, from the Corrie and want to recognize
01:05folks that have their business. Ms. Peyton, please come up here. Ms. Yvette, please come up here.
01:16These are two black women that have their business in our communities that's employing
01:22their, employing people in our communities that have well-established business in our
01:29communities. And I just want Ms. Peyton to come up and give her a shout out.
01:37Well, hello, everyone. Welcome back, Mayor. I miss my mayor. I've been, I've been, he's been
01:46summonsed to come here today. You know, I want to thank everyone for supporting small black
01:54businesses. It's hard on us. You know, I tell the truth. That's why I name it the truth. It's very
02:00difficult for us. The resources, I was speaking to Richard yesterday, the resources for small
02:10black businesses is not the same. So it's very difficult as we support the Chicago Workers'
02:18Right Week. I'm all in favor of giving raises. We work hard. But we are limited. We are limited
02:30to resources, to income, to grant approval. I've been here 10 years. I've never been granted
02:35a grant ever. And I've applied about three or four times. And it broke me down to tears yesterday
02:41when I spoke to Richard. You know, and it's hard on us. But I keep going through prayer, through
02:48support of the ones who do support me. We have real support and you have undercover support.
02:55But however, I am here to support raising the minimum wage. As I was speaking to Richard yesterday,
03:08I have been paying over minimum wage for 10 years. For 10 years. I don't have a revolving door here
03:20at Truth. Why? Because I respect my employees, my staff, and whomever come in here. I respect you all.
03:28Because we all are human, right? I've been summoned, too. So I'm in all favor of whatever it takes to
03:39make our staff happy. They have families. We have limited resources on health benefits. So they need
03:48money to take care of their families, right? So I'm here to support. Whatever I can do, you know, whenever
03:56you need Truth establishment, I'm all in favor. I thank you all for coming to Truth Restaurant. I worked
04:03very, very hard. And I just ask you all just to not, just not to just support on days like this. You all come
04:12out and support us. We got good food, don't we? I have a new location. I've been granted 57th Street Beach.
04:21I applied for that three years ago. And I finally get that support from the Park District and the City of
04:33Chicago. Raising wages and growing. And I'm not going to stop here. I'm not going to get discouraged. But I ask
04:47you all, don't make today your last day. You all come out and support me. Because without support, we can't pay
04:56this. Where am I going to get the money from? So you all support me, and I'm in support of whatever, anything you all
05:05have for me to do. I support you all 100 and more percent.
05:16Hi, I'm Yvette Moyo, and I'm also a business owner. And I echo Peyton's comments that it is not easy. In recent years,
05:25we've gone from hourly wages to a consortium of people that somewhere in the room called Momentum that actually manage our
05:36activities at the quarry where you rent our space. We've gone from that model of hourly because it's so it's been so difficult. It's
05:46been so difficult to pay everything that we need to pay. If you check our records, we used to pay hourly employees. But getting
05:53back into the mix after COVID has been a serious challenge. I commend this and we've gotten grants and we've gotten the NOS Neighborhood
06:02Operate Opportunities Fund, we've gotten other grants, everything we can apply for. Sometimes our doors have been open. Sometimes we've
06:10cried because our doors have had to be closed, because of economics. But as a woman who used to be a single mom for many years, our
06:18wages, particularly as women and heads of households, we've got to do better. We've got to provide a living wage. And so we hire organizations
06:29and groups to make sure that they can be supported. But I would love to have more employees. I would love to expand what we do. And without
06:36these kinds of conversations, we can't do that. So I commend the mayor for a standing firm. There are opportunities for small businesses to get a
06:45little relief. But we've got to put the bottom line situation in place first, that people deserve a living wage to get ahead and enjoy life. And we
06:55say the guide to the good life in Chicago because there is one. Thank you.
07:00Thank you. Thank you so much. I just want to big up to these two black women on Black Women Equal Pay Day. So right now I'm going to have our worker
07:18speaker to come up Sheryl Taylor. Come on Sheryl. I've got to bear with Sheryl. She's kind of nervous, but it's okay. It's a great day.
07:31Hi, my name is Sheryl Taylor. I'm a bartender at the quarry in South Shore. I've been bartending for over 15 years now. I'd like to thank the mayor for
07:42standing with us for Black Women Equal Pay Day. Also, I would like to introduce Jackie. Jackie, are you here? From SEIU? Give it up for Jackie.
07:58Hello, hello, hello. You all got to do this again. We got to let the mayor know that we're in this place and what we're here for. One fair wage and we want
08:11one fair wage for all. SEIU has been in partnership and coalition with One Fair Wage since the beginning. And we're going to stay with them until we get
08:24one fair wage for all. Right? We represent over 92,000 workers in four states that do services. They provide services of child care, health care,
08:40home care, and nursing home care. Those are essential. But guess what? People that work in restaurants, people that serve us in restaurants are essential as well.
08:51And so if we have one fight, it should be the fight for all. Thank you very much.
08:59Okay, so we jumped off a little bit. Chris Williams, please come up here. Carlos Rosa, please come up here. And Carlos will be introducing our mayor. Thank you.
09:10All right. Thank you. Well, first of all, I love living in Chicago. What a great place. I came here 40 years ago and was door knocking for Harold Washington. We've come full circle.
09:22And this is an amazing thing that Chicago is leading the way once again to get one fair wage for all. I'm an attorney, Chris, and with the workers law office, I've been
09:33representing workers from one fair wage and helping on policy campaigns around the country for over a decade. And just amazed to see Chicago lead the way, one fair wage being implemented here.
09:46You know, as many people will tell you, you can't solve a problem until you understand the history of that problem, the roots of it. And we do understand that.
09:54And one fair wage, we know this is a legacy of slavery, when the labor of some people was worth nothing. And even after slavery, it just became worth the tips that people gave you, but no absolute wage.
10:07And that's what the sub-minimum wage is. It's nothing but that. And we ended it here in Chicago. Thank you, Mayor. And we need to end it in the state.
10:17And we've got momentum to end it around the country. There's there's efforts in New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio and Arizona. There's momentum, there's movement, this is happening.
10:31I have to say that the issues affecting tip workers, particularly women of color, particularly people of color, were so exasperated by the pandemic.
10:43I can't tell you how many people I tried to assist in getting unemployment around the country, and they were denied. And the reason they were denied is not because they hadn't worked, it's because even though working, they had not earned enough in wages to qualify for unemployment because they were being paid sub-minimum wages.
11:01The pandemic exasperated so many problems. It's a vestige not just of slavery, but of racism, of sexual harassment. We have represented workers throughout the industry who have repeatedly been harassed by customers, by employers, women being told, wear dresses that are lower cuts, that are shorter.
11:22During the pandemic, women being told, drop your mask so we can see how pretty you are and decide how much to tip you. Just puts people in situations to be exploited, to be abused. And it's not surprising that this has resulted in people fleeing the industry and leaving the industry.
11:39Leaders like The Truth Here, restaurant owners who recognize the importance of work, the value of work, and are willing to pay the full minimum wage are bringing people back in. I think Peyton said there's no revolving door here. I believe it. This is what we need around the country. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Chicago, for leading the way.
12:01Good afternoon. My name is Carlos Ramirez Rosa. I'm the Alderperson of Chicago's 35th Ward on the Northwest Side. And I'm so happy to be here at Truth Restaurant on the South Side, marking Black Women's Equal Pay Day.
12:18Equal pay for Black women is an issue that needs to matter for all of Chicago. It needs to matter for Latino Chicago. It needs to matter for white Chicago, Asian Chicago. It needs to matter for men, women of all colors. Because it is a travesty that in this country, Black women only make 62 cents of every dollar that white men make. That is wrong. It is a legacy of discrimination, and it must be addressed.
12:41And so here in the city of Chicago, we started fighting for one fair wage for the restaurant industry with Tips on Top over five years ago. And it was Black women like Nataki Rhodes who were at the forefront of that fight, because they knew, they knew that if we wanted to address, give it one more big round of applause for Nataki Rhodes.
13:04Applause
13:10Leaders like Nataki knew that if we wanted to address discrimination in the workplace, if we wanted to make sure that Black women that were heads of their households were able to get ahead, put food on the table, put a roof over their heads, kids, they were going to have to have more money in their pocket. They were going to have to get one fair wage.
13:26And so in the restaurant industry, 56% of tipped workers are women, and 47% of tipped workers are Black and brown women. So that means that when you raise the wage for restaurant workers, who are you helping? You are helping Black women get ahead here in the city of Chicago and across the United States.
13:45So this struggle started five years ago. But it took this mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson, to get it done. So I'm so grateful. We are so grateful for this mayor for making this a priority of his administration. Today in the city of Chicago, Black women are getting ahead because Mayor Brandon Johnson made sure that they're getting a raise in the restaurant industry.
14:09So without further ado, please give a big round of applause to our champion on one fair wage, Mayor Brandon Johnson.
14:39Let's try that one more time. Good afternoon, everyone.
14:43I'm so honored to be with you all today, as we recognize and celebrate Black Women's Pay Equity Day.
14:53You know, first again, thank you to Nataki Rhodes. I cannot express how grateful and how slightly afraid I am of you.
15:03But thank you for your diligence and your leadership. And of course, to Peyton, let me tell you something. The way Black women do stuff, we're the only Black women are the only creations on the planet that can take the food of another culture.
15:30I'm gonna just say it. This is the best Black Italian restaurant I've ever had.
15:41I'm about to get I'm gonna get I'm off script. My speech writers get upset with me so many times.
15:47But I'm just saying, you know, look, Black families grew up eating spaghetti, maybe lasagna.
15:52But what Peyton has done here at Truth is absolutely remarkable. So congratulations to you, Peyton.
16:04You know, Peyton was with me from the very beginning supporting my quest to become mayor.
16:10And the least we could do is to make sure that her business can expand.
16:13And so I'm happy that you are loving our people enough to take your brilliance and your talent to carry it out through this incredible establishment.
16:23Again, to everyone who has been here, who's been a part of this fight for pay equity, and not just our city, but across this country.
16:33You know, it's quite fitting that this year's Black Women's Pay Equity Day falls in July.
16:40July 1st, you all know that the minimum wage ordinance went into effect, increasing the minimum wage to $16.20.
16:54Ensuring that minimum wage is no longer tiered by large or small businesses.
16:59The one fair wage pay bumps will continue over the next five years until every tip worker in the city earns a full and fair minimum wage.
17:10Restaurant workers will continue to earn their tips on top of their pay increase.
17:15And it's only appropriate that we celebrate this hard-fought victory on Black Women's Equal Pay Day.
17:22Because you all know it is the hard work and the brilliance and the ingenuity of Black women that have saved this democracy.
17:32And we're going to need you to do that again, sisters.
17:35But it also represents the nation's first real opportunity for us to break down these institutions of racism.
17:49And making sure that Black women in particular are not just hired, but they're paid what they are worth,
17:57is important to me as not just mayor of the city of Chicago, but as a Black man.
18:03And one fair wage is critical for leveling the playing field in Chicago,
18:08ensuring that a living wage for the city's tip workers, of which Alderman Rosa has already articulated,
18:1540% of whom are people of color and 50% of whom are women.
18:19And despite progress in Chicago, Black women still face significant disparities.
18:25Those disparities are not just here in Chicago, but they are nationwide.
18:28Earning just 62 cents for every $1 paid to a white man.
18:34This is not just about creating real economic opportunities for our community.
18:40But this is about making sure that there's real financial stability, security, and reliance.
18:45To make sure that there are greater protections in the workplace, particularly against harassment and retaliation.
18:51I can go on and on, but I will close with this.
18:55I'm happy that we're not only celebrating the fact that we have this great moment with one fair wage for all,
19:03but I'm also happy that we are celebrating the Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick Leave Ordinance that passed last year.
19:16You know, this past November, and it went into effect July 1,
19:20it guarantees up to five days of paid vacation time and five days of sick time
19:26for all Chicago workers who work at least 80 hours within a 120-day period.
19:33But we must continue to fight for pay equity to protect the rights of black women in the workplace.
19:41And we must create better economic opportunities for future generations to come.
19:47Now, as a Westsider, I don't always quote Southsiders, but I'll do it this time.
19:56Simmer down, y'all.
19:58But in the words of Chaka Khan,
20:06as she so eloquently articulated, that I am every woman, it's so deeply inside of me.
20:16And anything that you want done, she says she does it naturally.
20:22Now, you got to finish it.
20:23Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
20:28So for every single black woman that's inside of all of us,
20:32we celebrate that the wages are being raised, that dignity and respect is being brought to the
20:39workplace, and that the disparities, particularly in wages, the gap between black women and white
20:46men is now smaller.
20:48And so with that, I want to present to you all, to the city of Chicago, a check.
20:55This check is the estimated amount that workers will earn in the city of Chicago collectively
21:02as a result of this ordinance.
21:08Come on, Nataki.
21:08Come on up here.
21:09Come on up here.
21:10Come on up here.
21:10So if welfare wage workers, Cheryl, and everyone could come up here, please.
21:16Come on, y'all.
21:171.4 billion dollars.
21:47Thank you all.
22:08Congratulations.
22:18So I would like for everyone, okay, the mayor is about to leave and everything,
22:28but one thing I want to bring up is Reverend Wilson and the mayor.
22:40This is your part of the joy for presenting him with Women's People's Pay Day recognition.
22:47On behalf of One Fair Wage, Reverend Jesse Jackson, who would be here if he were not
22:58otherwise engaged, we are so excited to present to the first mayor to really push through this
23:06kind of ordinance in a city, and we need it in cities across the country.
23:10This is a certificate of recognition to our mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson.
23:17Thank you.
23:40Yeah, thank you for coming out, everybody.
23:47Okay, okay, okay.
23:49So we still get, if any food is left, you're still welcome to get any food.