Asheville Sustainable Restaurant Workforce

ASRW is a local worker founded, worker funded, advocacy group. Their mission is to improve the economic environment and human rights of restaurant workers in Western North Carolina through awareness, advocacy, and action. While North Carolina remains a “right-to-work” state, the Asheville Sustainable Restaurant Workforce understands building solidarity among workers in an industry helps to make their conditions better. ASRW attempts that noble goal of building community and using shared empathy to raise the voices of restaurant workers seeking representation. They believe that these workers are the foundation of Asheville’s hospitality economy and deserve a seat at the table.

When ASRW learned that a group of concessions workers at the city-run Asheville Civic Center had been purposefully denied a living wage by City administrators, they quickly sprung into action. It was Synergetic Strategies unique pleasure to consult with this organization in their quest to champion these worker’s cause. We provided our expertise on the inner-workings of local municipal government to help create a strategic plan of action to call attention to their plight. This meant designing a media roll-out strategy that included ghostwriting speeches and op-eds, managing social media channels, and administering a digital campaign hosted on coworker.com. It was rewarding to help the Asheville Sustainable Restaurant Workforce win a victory for these workers.

The Challenge

How to secure living wage raises for concession staff at the Asheville Civic Center despite having to contend with a reluctant City manager.

The Solution

Create an organizing strategy including an online digital petition campaign bolstered by direct action from the employees including rallies, call-ins, and public comment at city meetings.

The Result

City management allocated money for raises in the next fiscal year budget.