Waffle House Workers Won in Labor Protests, Bags $3 Raise At The Expense of Rising Menu Prices

By Moon Harper

Jun 12, 2024 02:04 AM EDT

The Waffle House — (Photo : UNSPLASH/Jon Tyson )

Waffle House intends to implement pay raises for servers at its nationwide restaurants within the next three years. Following a year-long campaign by labor advocates, some workers may receive increases of a few dollars per hour.

Waffle House Workers' Minimum Wage Sentiments

Waffle House operates 2,000 restaurant locations throughout the United States, with a focus primarily on the Southern and Midwestern regions. Restaurant employees often receive a low tipped minimum wage supplemented by tips. In Georgia, for example, Waffle House workers may receive less than $3 per hour directly from the company, relying on tips to surpass the standard minimum wage of $7.25.

Under the proposed pay plan, servers' direct wages from Waffle House would increase, while workers' receipt of tips would not change. In the video, Rogers emphasized the importance of maintaining the traditional gratuity system, stating that it would be impractical to transition to service charges instead of tips.

Staffers Winning Wage Increase Over Labor Protests

In a video reviewed by HuffPost, CEO Joe Rogers III conveyed to employees that the wage enhancements would impact every salesperson at Waffle House, elaborating that these increases would be financed through menu price adjustments, specifically targeting stores in regions with elevated living expenses. The base pay would increase to a minimum of $3 per hour starting in June, with gradual increments leading to at least $5.25 per hour by June 2026.

Rogers clarified that the base pay increase does not incorporate workers' tips and may vary based on minimum wage regulations in certain states. He further explained that wage growth may be more gradual in rural areas than urban markets and that the company also plans to introduce tenure bonuses and premiums for employees working late shifts.

Union of Southern Service Workers' Year-Long Protests

The wage increases coincide with a period when certain Waffle House employees voiced their challenges in meeting basic expenses due to the low pay.

Servers from a Conyers, Georgia, location affiliated with the Union of Southern Service Workers have taken strike action and presented petitions to management, advocating for increased wages, round-the-clock restaurant security, and an end to the company's meal policy of deducting $3.15 per day from employees' paychecks, regardless of whether they consume them during their shifts.

The group has also petitioned the Department of Labor to examine the meal deductions.

Katie Giede, a Waffle House server based in Atlanta, expressed that the wage increases indicate the company is under pressure and emphasized that they are determined to continue organizing and advocating until their desired wage of $25 per hour is achieved.

In an interview, Cindy Smith, one of the workers involved, expressed her satisfaction with the announcement and anticipated a wage increase of $3 per hour or higher. With 30 years of service at the company, she revealed that she currently earns $2.92 per hour before tips. Even with the raise, Smith anticipates that she will continue to struggle and barely manage to afford groceries for herself and her son. At 50, Smith views the raise as a victory but acknowledges that it lacks adequate support.