(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - In January, Workers employed at five of Washington, D.C.’s most prominent and lucrative restaurants - Le Diplomate, Rasika, Modena, Pastis and St. Anselm, publicly announced they were organizing for respect, stability and a seat at the bargaining table. These Workers hoped Restaurant Owners Stephen Starr and Ashok Bajaj would follow the example of José Andrés, who voluntarily recognized the Workers’ Union at The Bazaar just days after they announced. Now, Front-of-House and Production Staffers at four major event venues in Washington delivered a petition this week that called on management to not interfere with their organizing efforts to Unionize. Workers at the Anthem, 9:30 Club, Lincoln Theatre and the Atlantis marched together to the D.C. Office of I.M.P. - the production and promotion company that employs them, in a powerful show of unity and strength. While Staff expressed a deep appreciation for the role these event spaces play in the music scene of the Nation’s capital, they also emphasized the need for higher wages, more consistent scheduling and better workplace safety. For these reasons, they are calling for Carda Check Agreements as they organize with UNITE HERE Local 25 and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Locals 22 and 868 under the It's My Union Campaign banner. “We work at an internationally renowned venue and we deserve to be treated like we work at an internationally-renowned venue. I don’t feel like we are treated with dignity,” said Stagehand and Audio Engineer Lee Reber, who works at The Anthem and I.M.P.’s U Street corridor venues.

For More On This Organizing Labor News Story, Go To: DC Supports its Dining Workers!