[ [link removed] ]Tell Congress: Pass the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act

The petition to Congress reads:
"Stand up for workers' rights and support comprehensive legislation to
curb harassment and sexual violence and end the legacy of racism in the
workplace. Pass the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act."

Add your name:

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition ►

Dear John,

[ [link removed] ]Tell Congress: Pass the
BE HEARD in the Workplace
Act

Everyone deserves equality, safety and dignity at work.

The Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and
Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD) in the Workplace Act is model
legislation that would make workplaces safer and more equitable for all.^1

The BE HEARD Act disrupts our current wage and labor laws which
disproportionately expose women and workers of color to sexual violence
and harassment, racism and underpaid labor. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and three
other Democratic women in the House of Representatives recently introduced
this important bill and it's already gaining momentum. Will you add your
support now?

[ [link removed] ]Tell Congress: Stand up for workers' rights. Pass the BE HEARD in the
Workplace Act. Click here to sign the petition.

The BE HEARD Act aims to eliminate sexual harassment and inequality in the
workplace by expanding worker protections and requiring employers to pay
their workers the full minimum wage.^2 Tipped workers across the country –
from restaurant workers to car washers – are only paid the subminimum wage
of $2.13. This forces workers, especially women and people of color, to
tolerate abusive behavior from customers, managers and coworkers – whether
that's gender discrimination, sexual assault and harassment or blatant
racism – in order to make a livable wage.

The restaurant industry is a hotbed for this kind of economic
exploitation. Despite being the fastest-growing industry in the country
and employing over 15.1 million workers, restaurant work is still one of
the lowest-paying jobs in the country. Many workers rely on tips to
survive, and women make up 70% of the industry's tipped workforce.^3,4
Restaurant workers also experience poverty at three times the rate of
workers overall and use food stamps at two times the rate of the U.S.
workforce. Workers of color experience poverty at nearly twice the rate of
white workers.^5

This pay inequity exacerbates violence in the workplace. As high as 90% of
women and 70% of men who work in the restaurant industry have reported
some form of sexual harassment in the workplace.^6 The BE HEARD Act would
empower workers to report abusive behavior without concern that it would
impact their income.

It would also end a remnant of slavery that continues the legacy of racial
oppression and economic inequality along racial lines. Paying workers a
subminimum wage is a practice that has been around since emancipation,
when the restaurant industry demanded the right to hire newly freed slaves
and pay them next to nothing.^7 It's time that we abolish this legacy and
give all workers a fair, livable wage.

[ [link removed] ]Tell Congress: Stand up for workers' rights. Pass the BE HEARD in the
Workplace Act. Click here to sign the petition.

In addition to requiring all employers to pay workers the full minimum
wage, the BE HEARD Act would also:^8

* Expand civil rights protections and anti-discriminatory laws to apply
to all working people, including full-time employees, independent
contractors and interns.
* Invest in research about the economic impact of workplace harassment
and ensure that workers know their rights and learn how to identify
harassment.
* Put an end to mandatory arbitration and limit the use of
non-disclosure agreements, which prevent workers from coming forward
and holding perpetrators and businesses accountable.
* Empower people who come forward with reports of harassment or
retaliation to ensure they get support and a fair hearing.

It seems impossible to imagine that just as survivors are feeling safe
speaking out and sharing their #MeToo stories, Congress could pass up an
opportunity to stand with millions of working people to end the crisis of
workplace harassment and sexual assault. Alongside our partners,
UltraViolet and the Restaurant Opportunity Center, we hope to build a
movement to make sure that Congress acts now.

Tell Congress: Stand with workers. Pass the BE HEARD Act. Click the link
below to sign the petition:

[ [link removed] ][link removed]

Thanks for fighting back,

Thaís Marques, Campaign Manager
[ [link removed] ]CREDO Action from Working Assets

Add your name:

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition ►

References:

 1. Anne Branigin, "[ [link removed] ]Time's Up for Abusers in the Workplace: Rep. Ayanna
Pressley Introduces Sweeping Anti-Harassment Legislation," The Root,
April 9, 2019.
 2. Anna North, "[ [link removed] ]Democrats’ sweeping new anti-harassment bill,
explained," Vox, April 9, 2019.
 3. National Restaurant Association, "[ [link removed] ]Restaurant Industry Facts at a
Glance," accessed April 12, 2019.
 4. Rewards Network, "[ [link removed] ]The State of Women in the Restaurant and Food
Industry in 2017," Jan. 31, 2017.
 5. Teófilo Reyes, Chris Benner and Saru Jayaraman, "[ [link removed] ]Ending Jim Crow
in America’s Restaurants: Racial and Gender Occupational Segregation
in the Restaurant Industry," UC Berkeley Labor Center, Oct. 5, 2015.
 6. Stefanie K. Johnson and Juan M. Madera, "[ [link removed] ]Sexual Harassment Is
Pervasive in the Restaurant Industry. Here’s What Needs to Change,"
Harvard Business Review, Jan. 18, 2018.
 7. Rachel E. Greenspan, "[ [link removed] ]'It's the Legacy of Slavery': Here's the
Troubling History Behind Tipping Practices in the U.S.," TIME, Oct.
15, 2018.
 8. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, "[ [link removed] ]Pressley, Clark, Murray, Democrats—Joined
by Workers, Survivors, and Advocates—Introduce Sweeping Legislation to
Address Harassment in the Workplace," April 9, 2019.

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