A group of Democratic senators said Wednesday they have secured funding that will prevent more than 80 Senate cafeteria workers from losing their jobs in the next 10 days.
Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and fellow Democrats told a crowd of workers at a rally that the Capitol Office engineer, responsible for managing contracts that employ cafeteria workers, is expected to use $3.75 million of pre-allocated Covid relief funds to prevent layoffs. .
Klobuchar told workers at the sit-in outside the Capitol, “When I see all your faces, I think of everything you’ve been through. You’ve been here on the front lines. I’ve been here in the cafeteria…It was really hard and you just hung there for us.”
Klobuchar is chair of the Senate Rules Committee, which oversees the architect of the Capitol Building.
But even with Wednesday’s announcement, it’s not clear if the funding is over.
Restaurant Associates, the federal contractor that hires cafeteria workers, said it has not received confirmation that additional funding needed to avoid layoffs is on its way.
“Although we have not yet received an official word from the architect of the Capitol Building, we are encouraged by this report,” the company said in a statement.
After the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States in March 2020, the Capitol was closed to tourists and visitors, with a limited number of lawmakers, staff and journalists in the bustling complex. This led to the temporary closure of many dining halls on the Capitol grounds.
The Capitol began reopening to visitors on March 28, but Restaurant Associates staff said they were told last week that about half of the 175 workers in Senate cafeterias would lose their jobs on April 15 due to a lack of funding.
“With pandemic-related funding depleted and the number of people we serve is a fraction of what it has been, we must make these tough decisions,” a Restaurant Associates spokesperson told NBC News before the announced deal.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the architect of the Capitol Building said, “The goal is to continue working with Restaurant Associates to ensure they are aware of the AOC’s commitment to trying to resume operations and to avoid any layoffs, if at all possible.”
After receiving the layoff’s notice plans, the workers sought help from senators. On Monday, cafeteria staff themselves lobbied senators, going door-to-door in the Senate office buildings and pleading with lawmakers.
“Everyone needs this job. Everyone has problems at home,” Marielle Nasimimtu, a supervisor at the Dirksen Restaurant in the Senate office, said on Wednesday. “We have to deal with this. We need it.”
While they are grateful for what appears to be a temporary solution to avoid layoffs, workers – union members UNITE HERE Local 23 – say they still need a permanent funding fix.
“It’s frustrating, but eventually, we got over it. We were very fortunate that the senators were able to give us the money,” Anthony Thomas, cafeteria worker Dirksen, told NBC News. “I hope they can allocate enough money…make us feel like they really care about us.”
With major union efforts underway across the country, Senate cafeteria workers aren’t the only employees on Capitol Hill calling for better working conditions. In recent weeks, House staff has lobbied for unionization amid long hours, relatively low wages and a lack of workplace diversity.
“We shouldn’t treat any worker as just a disposable cog in a machine. We appreciate who they are and they support their families,” said Senator Jeff Merkley, who attended Wednesday’s rally.
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