We’re excited to share the final installment in our Bush Prize: Minnesota winner spotlight series—this time featuring the incredible work of the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Minnesota (ROC-MN).

ROC-MN is a worker center that advocates for fair wages and dignified working conditions across Minnesota’s restaurant and food-service industries. By amplifying the voices of restaurant workers and organizing community support, ROC-MN has become a transformative force in an industry that has long resisted worker-led changes.

As Sheli Stein, Lead Organizer at ROC-MN, shares, “Our power does exist, and it is inherently collective. When we are united, we can demand things and make material changes and shift the power balance.” Their commitment to worker education, leadership development, and organizing has resulted in significant victories, including winning nearly half a million dollars in back wages for workers and fighting for fairer conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Be sure to visit our website to read the full story about ROC-MN’s work and their incredible impact on Minnesota’s restaurant industry.

This spotlight marks the final entry in our series featuring the 2023 Bush Prize: Minnesota winners. Thank you for following along and celebrating the work of these extraordinary organizations!

In solidarity,

Headwaters Foundation for Justice