In an industry notorious for bad jobs, service workers are organizing for respect, stability, and better pay and benefits

Minneapolis – For the past 13 years, Ann Kim’s Vestalia Hospitality has been a leader in the Twin Cities dining scene. Now workers at the company’s new Uptown restaurant, Kim’s, are taking on leadership too – they are organizing a union.

“I’ve been in this industry nearly 20 years and have always moved on to a new restaurant when things got bad or unreliable at work. I don’t want to do that anymore. I live in Uptown and I came to Kim’s because I wanted to make it my career; I’m staying and organizing to make sure it is, for me and everyone after me,” said Kaylee Murphy, a server and bartender at Kim’s. 

About 60 cooks, dishwashers, servers, support staff, and bartenders work at Kim’s. On Tuesday, May 28, workers from across the restaurant delivered a petition to management with super-majority support, calling on the company to recognize their union UNITE HERE Local 17 and negotiate a union contract.

A group of Kim’s workers participated in a leadership development and training program with ROC MN that was instrumental in preparing them to exercise their rights on the job, including their rights to collective and concerted action.

“Organizing has allowed me to imagine the possibilities and potential for change in my shop and the restaurant industry in general,” said Lily Heitkemper, a prep cook at Kim’s. 

Workers are calling for respect, stability, and better pay and benefits. Everyone in the restaurant wants to be treated fairly and equitably but not all feel they are – workers say Kim’s can do better.

With cuts, on-call days, and inconsistent hours, Kim’s workers can’t always count on their schedule or getting the hours they need to pay rent. Although the company says its no-tipping surcharge model enables it to “elevate wages for everyone,”[1] hourly pay for kitchen workers at Kim’s is similar to comparable Minneapolis restaurants[2] while service staff say they earn less under the model than they would with tips. 

“Getting consistent hours has been a struggle. Over the past year I have been scheduled anywhere from two to six days a week. It’s hard to feel confident paying rent, enjoy time with friends and loved ones, let alone afford health care when I can’t count on consistent hours and consistent pay,” said Iain Knopp-Schwyn, a bartender at Kim’s. 

“I’m passionate about my work, and I want to be able to do that without worrying about my income week to week,” said Murphy. “I’m fighting for this to be a job I can count on, because I know the industry can be better.”

1 https://www.kimsmpls.com/surcharge/
2 An April 2024 job posting for a line cook at Kim’s stated that pay for line cooks start at $19 per hour, with a range of $19-22 per hour. Recent job postings from other area restaurants of similar price point and acclaim had the following indicated wages: Khaluna from $20 per hour, Chilango $19-$23.50 per hour, PS Steak $19-$24 per hour, Guacaya Bistreaux $19-$21 per hour. Each of those restaurants has a tipping model with a small surcharge, around 5%, versus Kim’s no-tipping model with a 21% charge. Job posting site Indeed reports the average wage listed for a line cook in Minneapolis as $19.14, updated April 13 2024.

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UNITE HERE Local 17 is Minnesota’s hospitality workers’ union, representing over 6,000 workers in hotels, airport restaurants, sports stadiums, craft beverage makers, university cafeterias, and more.

Restaurant Opportunities Center of Minnesota (ROC MN) is a non-profit Worker Center that educates and trains service industry workers to improve their working conditions and mobilizes community support for their efforts.

ROC MN and UNITE HERE Local 17 share a long-term commitment to improving working conditions in the Twin Cities service industry.