History & Mission
Initially founded to provide support to restaurant workers displaced after September 11, 2001, the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York (ROC-NY) is dedicated to winning improved wages and working conditions for restaurant workers and raising public recognition of restaurant workers' contributions to the city. Our members include approximately 5300 restaurant workers and their families from all parts of the world and from all different sectors of one of the nation's fastest growing industries.
About the Industry
The restaurant industry is one of the largest private sector employers in the nation, employing over 10 million people. With over 200,000 restaurant workers, the New York City restaurant industry has been one of the greatest contributors to the City's overall job growth in the last several years, showing resilience even through hard economic periods. Most workers, however, do not share in the prosperity the industry is experiencing and lack institutional support for organizing efforts. Restaurant workers still face tremendous challenges to financial security and dignity on the job: they are forced to work long hours for low wages, they often work in unhealthy and hazardous working conditions, they are denied basic benefits such as paid sick days, vacation days, and healthcare, and they often face unlawful practices such as workplace discrimination and wage theft.