Tip Rebellion
#TipRebellion
#shortdrama
#shortmovie
#watchmovie
#cinema
#movie
#TipRebellion
#shortdrama
#shortmovie
#watchmovie
#cinema
#movie
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00My name is Ruby Sanchez. I'm 32 years old and have worked as a server at Lighthouse Restaurant for six
00:05years.
00:06It's a family seaside diner specializing on seafood and brunch.
00:10The view is gorgeous, overhooding the ocean.
00:13But pretty views don't pay the bills.
00:15I only make $2.13 an hour, the federal minimum wage for servers in America, because the law assumes we'll
00:20make up the rest in tips.
00:21Tips are our lifeline.
00:22For six years, I've walked 20,000 steps a day, carrying plates, wiping tables, dealing with drunk patrons, getting yelled
00:28at by customers and line cooks alike.
00:30My knees and back are shot, but I can't quit.
00:32I have an eight-year-old daughter with asthma, and her monthly medication costs more than my rent.
00:36I survive on tips.
00:38This past March, the restaurant switched to a new P system.
00:41Every server got their own one.
00:42When customers left tips by card, the money went straight into the system, and we'd get a lump sump at
00:46the end of each month.
00:47Before, we'd get cash tips we could pocket at the end of every shift.
00:50Not anymore.
00:50The owner said it was more standardized and easier for tax filing.
00:53We believed him.
00:54The first month, my tips was $200 short.
00:56I asked the manager, and he said, the system's fine, you must have miscounted.
01:00The second month, I was down $300.
01:01The third month, $400.
01:03I started listening to my co-workers' complaints.
01:05Megan was short.
01:06Lisa was short.
01:07Anna was short.
01:08All eight of us were having our tips skimmed.
01:10Some lost 20% of their earnings, others up to 40%.
01:12I confronted the owner.
01:14His name's Howard.
01:15He's in his 60s, heavyside, with a smile that makes him look like a kind Santa Claus.
01:18But the smile was fake.
01:20Staring at him, one thought crossed my mind.
01:22He thinks we won't check.
01:23He thinks we don't understand.
01:24He thinks we'll just take it.
01:25Howard, we need to see the tip records.
01:28The records are with the accountant.
01:30It's not accessible to staff.
01:31It's confidential business information.
01:34Confidential business information?
01:36My tips were his confidential business information?
01:44After work that day, I invited everyone over to my place.
01:47All eight of us crammed into my tiny living room.
01:50I said, girls, we need to find out where our money's going.
01:52The records are with the accountant.
01:54It's not accessible to staff.
01:55Lawyers cost too much.
01:56We should walk out.
01:57Walk out.
01:58The word hung in the air, and everyone fell silent.
02:01Anna's the youngest of the eight of us.
02:03She's 25, a single mom to a three-year-old kid.
02:05She's thin and small, but there's something sharp in her eyes.
02:08Not rage, but the cold resolve that comes after rage has worn itself out.
02:12At my last job, the owner withheld wages.
02:14We walked out, and he paid up in three days flat.
02:16But we had a union back then.
02:18We don't have one now.
02:19We don't need a union.
02:21We just need to stick together.
02:23Eight of us, all on the same page.
02:25He can't fire every single one of us.
02:28Megan, 40, mother of three.
02:30Her husband lost his job last year.
02:32Lisa, 35, still paying off student loans, working a second shift as a grocery chanker every night after the restaurant.
02:37Samantha, 28, saving every penny for her little brother's college tuition.
02:42He's starting school next year.
02:43Tina, 41, single mom whose son's about to start college.
02:46She only eats one meal a day to put money away.
02:48Jessica, 30, freshly divorced.
02:49Her ex-husband drained all their spavings, forcing her to start over from zero.
02:52Betty, 55, nearing retirement.
02:54Her knees worse than mine, aching every step she takes.
02:56Yet she dares not take a single day off.
02:58Add me, that's eight women.
02:59Eight people having their tips stolen.
03:01Eight piles of bills waiting to be paid.
03:04We need proof.
03:06Without proof, a walkout just looks like a disturbance.
03:08He can claim we're harassing him.
03:09Call the cops.
03:10Sue us.
03:10How do we get proof?
03:12I took basic accounting at community college.
03:14I know enough.
03:15I need access to the PO system's doubt count.
03:19Can you get in?
03:20I can't myself.
03:22But I know someone who can.
03:24The next day I tracked down Lucas, the technician who installed the PO system.
03:28A friend of a friend.
03:29This is illegal.
03:30They stole our money.
03:31They're the ones breaking the law.
03:34I'll give you the lock-in credentials.
03:35You do it on your own.
03:36I don't know a thing about this.
03:38That's all I need.
03:39That night, once my daughter fell asleep, I sat at my laptop and logged into the POS
03:43back-gown.
03:44The second the screen lit up, my hands shook.
03:47Not from fear, but because I knew what I was about to see would change everything.
03:51All the back-gown data was laid out plain as day.
03:53Every tip was logged.
03:54Which customer?
03:55Which table?
03:55How much money?
03:56Which server it belonged to?
03:57Then I spotted a column named Adjustments.
04:00Every single month, the system automatically generated a line item called Administrative
04:03Fees, duck-ducked straight from each server's total tip earnings.
04:06The deductions ranged from 15% to 30%, no set pattern, totally arbitrary, like someone
04:11picked a random number each month.
04:13Administrative Fees.
04:15What fees?
04:15We never signed any paperwork agreeing to such deductions.
04:18It wasn't written anywhere in our employment contracts.
04:21Where was all that money going?
04:22I traced the transfers and they all funneled into a separate account registered under Howard
04:26Sterling, the owner's personal bank account.
04:28I stared at the screen, my heart pounding like a drum.
04:31He wasn't just skimming our tips.
04:33He was pocketing every cent for himself.
04:35Every dollar he stole was earned through our sweat waiting tables, the bruises on our knees,
04:40the parent-teacher conferences we missed because we couldn't afford to take time off.
04:44I took screenshots of every piece of evidence and saved every record.
04:48Then I called Anna.
04:49Anna, I've got it.
04:50How much total?
04:51Over the last two years.
04:53I crunched the numbers.
04:54All eight of us lost at least $60,000 combined.
04:58$60,000?
04:59He stole $60,000 from us?
05:01That's not even all of it.
05:02This is only what I found.
05:03If we go back further, it's probably more.
05:05The next day, I invited everyone back to my house.
05:08I pulled up the data on a projector and walked them through every page.
05:12My son had a school trust last month and I couldn't afford to send him so I owed money
05:16from his classmates.
05:17I thought I just wasn't working hard enough, but someone was stealing my money all along.
05:21I stayed an extra hour every single day just to pick up more tables for extra tips and
05:26half of those tips got taken away.
05:27I shouldn't have blamed myself.
05:29I should have blamed him.
05:30We all cried, but not from sorrow, from rage.
05:33Angry tears burn hot, searing your cheeks.
05:41We made three decisions that night.
05:43First, contact a lawyer.
05:45We tracked down Alina, a pro bono attorney who specializes in labor rights cases.
05:50At least three restaurants in this city have the same problem, but none of them have won
05:54a lawsuit because there's no evidence.
05:56Do you have any evidence?
06:00Two full years of records.
06:02Every single transaction.
06:06This isn't just wage thief, it's grand larceny.
06:08He could face jail time for this.
06:10But what we want is simple.
06:11Our stolen money back and an end to him stealing from us ever again.
06:14I can negotiate a settlement on your behalf.
06:15If he refuses our terms, we can file a lawsuit.
06:18But litigation takes time up to a year.
06:20Can you afford to wait that long?
06:22We negotiate first.
06:23If that fails, we sue.
06:25We pick the busiest shift Friday night.
06:26The restaurant's packed, full of customers, and he won't want to alienate them.
06:29We'll stand out front with signs so everyone passing by sees what he's done.
06:32I'm scared.
06:33What if he retaliates against us?
06:35He's already retaliating.
06:36He's stealing our money.
06:37We're only taking back hours.
06:39Third, agree on a unified message.
06:42No arguing.
06:43No fizzle confrontation.
06:45No name calling.
06:46Just hold signs and state the facts.
06:51Friday arrived.
06:52I was so nervous from the moment I woke up that I couldn't eat a thing all morning.
06:56Good luck, Mommy.
06:58I might be home late tonight.
07:00Be good at Grandma's house.
07:02Okay.
07:03I got to the restaurant at four in the afternoon.
07:05The other seven women were already waiting by the back door.
07:08Each of us held a handwritten sign that read,
07:10Our owner stole our tips.
07:12Anna made a big banner and hung it on the front railing, over 60,000 sold all in her total.
07:17Howard stormed out of the kitchen, his face bright red with rage.
07:20What do you think you're doing?
07:22Take those signs down right now.
07:23No one moved an inch.
07:25You're fired.
07:26Firing me won't change anything.
07:28Even if I leave, they'll keep holding the signs.
07:31You're fired too.
07:32You can't fire all eight of us, unless you plan to wait every table yourself tonight.
07:36Customers had started fluttering into the restaurant,
07:38and we could see them glancing out the front windows at our protest.
07:42Is everything you're saying true?
07:43Every single month, 15 to 30% of our tips get taken away.
07:47Over two years, $60,000 total all deposited straight into the owner's personal account.
07:51The woman read the paper, glanced over at Howard, said nothing,
07:54then walked back inside and whispered to her dining companions.
07:57A minute later, the whole table stood up and walked out.
08:00I'll never set foot in this place again.
08:03That was the first table to leave, but far from the last.
08:06By 7 o'clock that night, over 20 people were gathered out front.
08:09Not just us, but former customers.
08:12They held up their phones to take photos and record videos.
08:15Several streamed live to social media with captions reading.
08:18I stood holding my sign, my legs shaking, not from fear, but from the cold.
08:22The ocean wind whipped past us, salty and fringed.
08:24Anna stood beside me, her hands didn't ice cold too, but we both smiled.
08:28That smile held an unspoken truth.
08:30We were doing the right thing.
08:31Howard marched back outside, clutching a stack of papers.
08:33You're all terminated, every last one of you.
08:36Here's your formal notice of dismissal.
08:38Leave this incident or I'll call the police.
08:40Go ahead and call them.
08:41When the cops show up, we'll hand over all the proof.
08:44You stole our money.
08:45You really think you want police here?
08:47Howard's face paled.
08:48He hadn't expected us to stand our ground so firmly.
08:50He thought we'd throw a tiny fit, bluff a little, then slink back to work.
08:53He forgot we had nothing left to lose.
08:55We'd already lost far too much.
08:57By 9 o'clock, only two tables remained inside.
08:59Every server had been fired, and the head cook Mike walked out too.
09:02He sided with us and refused to prepare any more food.
09:04Howard stood alone behind the bar, his face ashen.
09:07I'm sure he was wondering how it all fell apart.
09:09He'd stolen from us for two full years, certain no one would ever find out.
09:12He never imagined we'd dig into the system records, band together as a group,
09:15or stage a walkout on the busiest Friday night of the week.
09:18At 10 o'clock, he locked the restaurant doors three hours earlier than usual.
09:22When Howard stepped outside, he wouldn't look at any of us.
09:24His face was pale, his lips trembling.
09:26He climbed into his car and drove away.
09:28We stood watching his taillights vanish down the road.
09:31No one spoke for a long moment.
09:33Then Megan started clapping, and one by one, we all joined in.
09:37The next morning, social media erupted.
09:40Someone up-footed protests aversed with the headline,
09:44Servers unite to accuse owner of stealing tips.
09:47The video racked up over 100,000 shares overnight.
09:52The comment section flooded with messages.
09:55Stand with the servers.
09:57These women are heroes.
09:59The owner deserved jail time.
10:02I stood in front of the camera, and the reporter began to ask questions.
10:06Why did you stage this walkout?
10:08Because our boss called Wood hold our tips.
10:11Over two years, the eight of us were short more than $60,000.
10:15He ponketed the monies himself.
10:17Did you try talking to him before protesting?
10:20We did.
10:20He claimed the system worked perfectly, and we'd simply miscounted our earnings.
10:25But we pulled the background record.
10:28The system functioned fine.
10:30He's the one at fault.
10:31The reporter asked Howard for an interview, but he declined.
10:35His attorney released a short statement reading,
10:37This matter is under internal review, and no further comment will be provided at this time.
10:45I headed home to my daughter, who was staying at grandma's.
10:49Grandma sent me a photo, my little girl sitting in front of the TV,
10:52pointing excitedly at the screen as my interview aired.
10:55Her eyes lit up with trust.
10:58She knew her mom was doing something right.
11:01That night, Anna called me.
11:04Ruby, do you have any idea how many people have reached out to us?
11:08How many?
11:09Twelve servers from other restaurants.
11:11They all say their owners steal their tips too, and they want to follow our lead.
11:15I leaned back against my couch and stared at the ceiling.
11:19Twelve people from twelve separate dining officiages.
11:23What did that prove?
11:24This wasn't an isolated incident.
11:26It was a systemic, industry-wide problem.
11:33Restaurant owners across town were stealing servers' tips,
11:37and we, eight women, were only the small group who caught the theft.
11:42Elena facilitated settlement negotiations between us and Howard.
11:46For our first meeting, he brought his own lawyer, and we brought Elena.
11:51He sat across the table from us, looking worn out with heavy, dark circles under his eyes.
11:56He might not have slept all night.
11:59He might have been tallying up the figures, calculating how much money he had stolen,
12:03and how much he would have to pay back if he were found out.
12:07Elena spread out his financial statements alongside our digital evidence on the conference table.
12:12Mr. Sterling, you withheld a total of 64,300 tips of eight employees.
12:17Under the law, this constitutes theft.
12:19We can either call the police or settle out of court.
12:22What do you want from me?
12:24He mumbled, stripped of all his usual confidence.
12:27First, a full refund of all what held tips.
12:30Second, compensation for emotional distress for every employee.
12:35Third, a public apology to the entire staff.
12:39He stared at the number in silence for a long time.
12:43I don't have that kind of money.
12:44You drive a Porsche, live in an F neighborhood, and send your children to private schools,
12:48and you're telling us you have no money?
12:50We can offer a monthly payment plan.
12:53No. Full payment in full within 15 days, or we file criminal chargers.
12:57Howard lift his head to meet my glaze.
12:59There was no anger or sorrow in his eyes, only utter exhaustion.
13:02The exhaustion of having his fake friendly facade completely stripped away.
13:07I accept your terms.
13:10Fifteen days later, the settlement money hit our bank accounts.
13:14The $98,000 was split equally between the eight of us.
13:18I received just over $12,000.
13:21The extra portion covering emotional damages.
13:24Truthfully, though, the money wasn't what mattered most.
13:27What mattered was that he admitted his wrongdoing.
13:30He signed a formal settlement agreement acknowledging he'd stolen our tips,
13:34and that document was worth more than any cash payout.
13:38That night, we gathered back at my house again, each of us holding a bottle of cheap beer.
13:42We should celebrate.
13:43We need to figure out what comes next.
13:44Do we go back to work at the restaurant?
13:46None of us had considered that question.
13:47We hadn't stepped foot inside since being fired.
13:49Howard's restaurant was still open.
13:51Social media labeled him the thief owner, and most regular customers bowcotted the place entirely.
13:55I'm never going back.
13:56Even if he offered our jobs back, I don't trust him anymore.
13:59Me neither, but we all need steady work.
14:01We can't afford to go without income.
14:02Silence fell over the room, broken only by the soft clink of beer bottlesles on the coffee table.
14:06I have a thought.
14:07What if we open our own restaurant?
14:09We wouldn't work for someone else.
14:10We'd own the place ourselves.
14:11Do you have startup capital?
14:13Not alone, but together we do.
14:14Combined, our settlement money might cover the initial costs.
14:17If we fall short, we can take out a small business loan.
14:20We'll run it as a worker co-op.
14:22Every server is an equal owner.
14:23We split all profits evenly, and every tip goes straight to the person who earned it.
14:28I've worked in this industry my whole life and never heard of a server co-op.
14:32Then let's be the first.
14:34Opening a restaurant was no simple task.
14:36None of the eight of us had any formal management experience, but every single one of us had waited
14:39tables for a run-a-kitchen-back-of-cause-of-house-and-keep-overhead costs low.
14:43The only thing we'd never done before was make the big decisions.
14:45The owner had always handled all of that.
14:47Now the choices would be ours alone.
14:49We found an empty storefront downtown that had previously housed a small coffee shop that
14:53went out of business.
14:54The rent was affordable, but renovation costs would be steep.
14:57I ran the numbers.
14:58Our combined settlement funds only added up to a little over $30,000, barely enough for
15:03rent and a security deposit.
15:05Anna suggested crowdfunding.
15:06She launched an online funding page with the headline,
15:09eight servers stolen from opening our own restaurant.
15:11The story we posted was plain and unemotional, only hard facts.
15:15$64,000 stolen over two years, eight workers, one corrupt owner.
15:19The page raised $8,000 on day one, 15,000 on day two, 25,000 by day three, and hit
15:24120,000
15:25by the end of the first week.
15:27Donations poured in from people across the entire country.
15:30Complete strangers.
15:31The elderly woman who'd walked out during our protest donated $500.
15:35We named our restaurant Lighthouse the exact same name as Howard's old diner.
15:40It wasn't an accident.
15:41It was intentional.
15:42Howard's Lighthouse had lost its guiding light.
15:45Our new Lighthouse would shine bright once more.
15:48We needed to register one legal representative for the business.
15:51The eight of us each nominated ourselves for the role, one vote per person.
15:55We draw names out of a hat, and Megan was selected.
15:59I'm not the right person for this.
16:01You are, we told her.
16:02You work harder than anyone, just like all of us.
16:05When our official business license arrived, we hung the small metal plaque above the front
16:10door, and every single one of us broke down crying.
16:13It wasn't just a metal sign.
16:14It was proof that all eight of us held legal ownership of this space.
16:18We were no longer servers working for a stranger.
16:21We were our own bosses.
16:24Renovations took two full months, and we did all the labor ourselves.
16:27Painting walls, laying flooring, hauling furniture.
16:30Anna's hands were stained white with paint.
16:33Lisa knees bruised raw from kneeling on the floor.
16:36Samantha split her fingernails, hauling heavy supplies.
16:39Not a single person complained.
16:41We were working for ourselves now, every drop of sweat benefiting our own futures.
16:46We crafted the menu together as a group.
16:48Each of us contributed two signature family recipes.
16:51Dishes passed down from our loved ones, not generic restaurant core.
16:54My grandmother's secret meatball recipe.
16:57Anna's mother's chicken soup.
16:59Megan's homemade apple pie.
17:00We were sharing our family's flavors with every guest who walked through the door.
17:04Girls, tomorrow we open our doors.
17:07Starting tomorrow, no one will skim our tips.
17:10No one will steal our hard-earned money.
17:13Every bit of effort we put in will pay off directly for us.
17:17On opening day, a long line wrapped around the front of the building.
17:20We hadn't spent a dollar on advertising.
17:23Local news coverage of our story had drawn the crowds.
17:26Newest headlines read,
17:28Servers who had tips stolen opened their own co-op restaurant.
17:31News headlines read,
17:33Servers who had tips stolen opened their own co-op restaurant.
17:36One elderly woman rode the bus 40 minutes one way,
17:39only ordering our cheapest bowl of soup.
17:41She didn't have much money, but she wanted to show her support however she could.
17:44All eight of us worked non-stop.
17:47I waited tables.
17:48Anna helped prep food in the kitchen.
17:49Megan managed the register.
17:50Lisa wiped down every table.
17:51No one slacked off.
17:53No one complained.
17:54Every tip left at every table went straight into our own collective earnings.
17:58After closing that first night,
17:59we sat back of house counting every dollar.
18:02Cast sales, cart payments, tips.
18:04Our gross revenue topped $3,000 with over $500 in tips alone.
18:09Split evenly between us,
18:10that was over $60 each in tips.
18:13It wasn't a huge sum,
18:14but double what we'd make in a single shift at Howard's,
18:17and this was only our opening day.
18:19If we keep this pace every day,
18:21each of us will take home an extra $1,000 every month.
18:24My rent's only $800 a month.
18:26That would cover it easily.
18:28I could finally start saving for my son's college tuition.
18:32Looking at them,
18:33my heart warmed.
18:33This isn't just a restaurant,
18:35it's a dream.
18:36The dream of eight people,
18:37supported by one belief.
18:38Our money should belong to us.
18:40We broke even our first full month of operation.
18:42We didn't turn a profit,
18:44but we didn't lose money either.
18:45We covered utility bills,
18:47rent,
18:47food inventory,
18:48and payroll.
18:49We each drew the legal minimum wage for ourselves,
18:51and all left of revenue went toward paying off our renovation loan.
18:54No one grumbled about the low pay tricks.
18:56It was a choice we'd all agreed on.
18:58We knew if we pushed through the first few lean months,
19:01business would stabilize.
19:02Our customers touched me deeply.
19:04They knew our story,
19:05and most left far larger tips than standard.
19:08One customer ordered a $20 meal and left a $100 tip,
19:12writing a note,
19:13you deserve far more than this.
19:15Others handed us handwritten cards that read,
19:18you women are heroes of this town.
19:20We weren't heroes,
19:22just ordinary people who'd chosen to stand up for what was right.
19:25Our second month,
19:26we turned our first small profit,
19:28$3,000 total,
19:30less than $400 per person when split eight ways.
19:33But it was our first official profit distribution.
19:36The first time we got to keep extra earnings without handing a cut over to an owner.
19:43I can finally buy my son the pair of sneakers he's been begging for.
19:46I can add more to my brother's college saving fund.
19:49I can buy myself a new winter coat,
19:51the first new piece of clothing I've bought since my divorce.
19:53None of it was a huge windfall,
19:55but every single cent was ours,
19:57earned by our own hands,
19:59no one skimming anything away.
20:00At the end of our second month in business,
20:02Howard showed up at our front door.
20:04He stood outside the restaurant wearing a worn old jacket,
20:07looking years older than he had before.
20:09His original lighthouse business had collapsed,
20:12losing 70% of its regular customers.
20:14He'd been forced to lay off all his staff.
20:17Every cook and server quit,
20:18leaving only him and his wife to run the place alone.
20:21He lingered by the entrance,
20:22too ashamed to step inside.
20:24Anna spotted him and walked out to speak with him.
20:26What do you want, Howard?
20:27I came to say I'm sorry I never should have stolen your tips.
20:31I know an apology doesn't fix anything,
20:33but I needed to say it anyway.
20:35Anna didn't respond to him.
20:36She walked back inside and told the rest of us what he'd said.
20:40I don't accept his apology.
20:41It's far too late.
20:42Me neither.
20:43Tell him to leave.
20:45Howard, we can't accept your apology.
20:47It's not that we hate you.
20:48It's that your words can't undo what you did.
20:51You paid back the money you stole,
20:52but you can never repay the trust you broke.
20:55You need to go.
20:55He nodded silently, turned, and walked away slowly,
20:59his shoulders hunched forward.
21:01I felt no sympathy for him.
21:03He'd made his own choice the day he decided to steal our wages,
21:06and he'd known this outcome was inevitable.
21:09Six months later,
21:10Lisa did something that made every single one of us incredibly proud.
21:13She signed up for an online accounting night course,
21:16studying after her restaurant shifts.
21:18We run a business,
21:19and someone needs to understand the books.
21:21Hiring an outside accountant every month costs too much money.
21:24She studied consistently for eight months
21:26and earned her official accounting certification.
21:28From that point forward,
21:29she managed all of the CoAWOPS financial records.
21:31She logged every single income stream,
21:33expense, and profit distribution with perfect clarity,
21:36printing a full financial report for all of us to review every month.
21:39When she shared the first monthly report,
21:41Betty said,
21:42I've waited tables for 30 years,
21:44and this is the first time any employer has shown me full financial records.
21:48Before, owners just told us business is slow, no raises this year.
21:52Now I know exactly where every dollar goes.
21:55That's why I did this.
21:56Every single one of us deserves to know exactly how much our labor is worth.
22:06Samantha's moment to shine.
22:07In our second year of operations,
22:09Samantha's younger brother got accepted to college,
22:11but he was $8,000 short on tuition payments.
22:15Samantha hid the stress from the rest of us
22:17and picked up multiple side jobs to scrape together the money alone.
22:20Anna noticed how exhausted she was
22:22and brought it up during our weekly staff meeting.
22:24Samantha broke down crying, saying,
22:25I didn't want to burden all of you.
22:27You're never a burden.
22:28You're family, part of this CoAWP.
22:30We held a unanimous vote to advance Samantha
22:32in early profit distribution from the CoAWP's reserve funds
22:35to cover her brother's tuition bill.
22:36Samantha's brother later wrote us a heartfelt letter that read,
22:40Thank you for helping my family.
22:41I will study hard,
22:42and when I graduate,
22:43I know lift up other ront people the way you lifted up my sister.
22:46Samantha framed the letter and hung it on our restaurant wall
22:49beside photos from our grand opening.
22:51Tina's moment to shine.
22:53In our third year,
22:54Tina's son graduated high school with excellent grades
22:56and received an acceptance letter to the state university.
22:59Yet he hesitated to enroll because they couldn't tuition.
23:03Go to school.
23:04Mom has the money now.
23:05For the first time,
23:07she used her CoAWP profit share to pay his tuition deposit.
23:09That night,
23:10she sat back of house and cried happy tears.
23:12I used to think this was all life would ever be for me.
23:14I worried my son would resent me for having no father
23:16and a mother who couldn't provide for him.
23:18Now I realize I can give him a future after all.
23:20Her son came to work at the restaurant every school break after that.
23:25He told us,
23:26I wanted to see where my mom spends her days,
23:29to understand how she built a life for our family all on her own.
23:33In our fourth year,
23:34Jessica's ex-husband resurfaced.
23:36He owed her thousands in unpaid support
23:38and showed up out of nowhere asking to reconcile their marriage.
23:41Jessica waveled for several days.
23:44None of us pressured her,
23:45only telling her we'd stand behind whatever choice she made.
23:49Once I thought I couldn't survive it without you,
23:52but I've built a stable,
23:54happy life all by myself now.
23:57She started an online blog sharing her story,
23:59navigating divorce,
24:01financial ruin,
24:02and rebuilding her life as a co-op owner.
24:04Her blog gradually gained a large following,
24:06with dozens of readers leaving comments
24:08saying her story gave them the courage
24:10to stand up for themselves too.
24:12I'm not some inspirational role model.
24:15I'm just an ordinary woman
24:16who refused to keep letting
24:18old people take advantage of me.
24:22Six months into our fourth year,
24:24a regional food magazine featured our restaurant,
24:27not for our cuisine,
24:28but for our story.
24:29The headline read,
24:31Eight servers come back,
24:32from stolen tips to worker co-op owners.
24:35The reporter interviewed all of us
24:37and took group photos of the eight of us
24:38standing outside the restaurant
24:40in matching linen aprons,
24:42grinning from ear to ear.
24:44We had the photo enlarged and framed
24:46to hang on our dining room wall.
24:48Someone asked us,
24:49what's the secret to your success?
24:51Solidarity.
24:52The eight of us stand united as one.
24:55It's not about any single one of us
24:56being more talented.
24:57It's that every woman here
24:59is willing to sacrifice and support the others.
25:01When Megan was sick,
25:02I covered her shifts.
25:09That's the real reason we've succeeded.
25:14Do you ever regret stedging that walkout?
25:16Not for a single second.
25:18I once thought waiting tables was a demeaning job,
25:21but now I take immense pride in this work.
25:24We work for ourselves,
25:26not a greedy boss.
25:27That night after closing,
25:28we popped a bottle of cheap
25:30supermarket champagne back of house,
25:32costing barely $20.
25:33Yet every one of us drank it with pure joy.
25:36I never imagined in my wildest dreams
25:38I'd become my own boss
25:39after a lifetime waiting tables.
25:42My son brags to all his classmates
25:43that his mom owns a restaurant.
25:45He used to be embarrassed to say I was a server.
25:53One year after the magazine feature,
25:55we fully paid off every cent of our renovation loan.
25:58That day,
25:58we opened a bottle of higher quality champagne to celebrate.
26:01Megan brought up a new idea.
26:03I think we should open a second location.
26:05Isn't that moving too fast?
26:06We've proven our co-op model works.
26:08There's no reason we can't replicate it.
26:09We debated the idea for hours,
26:11then held a vote.
26:12Five in favor,
26:13three opposed,
26:14clearing the way for a second restaurant.
26:16I voted yes,
26:18not because I guaranteed instant success,
26:20but because I knew waiting longer
26:21would only make expansion chin harder.
26:23We began searching for a second storefront.
26:26This time,
26:26we didn't need crowdfunding.
26:28We'd built up business savings,
26:30good credit,
26:31and years of operational experience.
26:33We found a spot a short distance outside downtown
26:36with much lower monthly rent.
26:38We handled all renovations ourselves once more,
26:41but we had volunteer helpers this time.
26:43Regular customers who'd followed our story
26:44wanted to pitch in.
26:46A construction worker came every weekend to lay flooring.
26:48A retired school teacher helped paint the walls,
26:51and a college student volunteered
26:53to redesign our printed menus.
26:55On the second location's opening day,
26:56a long line wrapped around the building again.
26:59Most of the crowd were loyal regulars
27:00from our original restaurant,
27:02bringing their friends and family to witness our growth.
27:04You all actually did it.
27:05You turned your fight into something permanent.
27:08We're still just getting started.
27:10After closing on the second shop's first day,
27:12we gathered back of home once more
27:14to Tenney Sales and Tips.
27:16The tip earnings were even higher
27:18than our original location.
27:19Everyone in the neighborhood knew our story,
27:21chose to tip generously out of support.
27:24Two years after launching our second restaurant,
27:26we opened a third location.
27:28This wasn't a planned expansion.
27:30Servers from a neighboring city reached out to us
27:33after hearing our story,
27:34begging to copy our co-op model in their town.
27:37They asked if they could use our lighthouse name
27:39and business framework.
27:40After lengthy discussion,
27:41we agreed,
27:42with no franchise fees
27:43or brand licensing charges whatsoever.
27:44We only had one non-negotiable rule.
27:46Their restaurant must operate
27:47as a full worker co-op,
27:48every server and equal owner
27:49with evenly split profits.
27:51They readily agreed.
27:52On the day the third store opened,
27:53some members of our team went to the site.
27:55Standing at the entrance
27:56and watching the servers,
27:57I suddenly realized that this wasn't
27:58just about eight individuals.
28:00It was servers were beginning to awaken.
28:02They understood their tips
28:03shouldn't be stolen by greedy owners
28:04and they learned that collective solidarity
28:06could rewrite unfair workplace rules.
28:08Did you ever imagine
28:09it would spiral out this far?
28:11Not at all.
28:12At first,
28:12all I wanted was to get back
28:13the money stolen from us.
28:15What do you want now?
28:16I want every person in this industry
28:18to know waiting tables
28:19is a dignified professional career.
28:21Our labor deserves respect
28:22and every dollar we earn
28:23belongs solely to us.
28:25Just as our co-op movement was thriving,
28:27a new adversary emerged.
28:28A corporate restaurant chain
28:30called Quick Eats
28:30began expanding across our city,
28:32advertising a so-called
28:33cooperative work model
28:34to recruit servers
28:35with promises of profit sharing.
28:37But reading their employment contracts
28:38revealed was a hollow marketing trick,
28:40not a true co-op.
28:41Servers held video power
28:42to only 5% profit cut
28:43that management could revoke at any time.
28:46Megan uncovered their scam first.
28:48A close friend of hers
28:50took a job at Quick Eats
28:51and worked there for three months
28:53without receiving a single dollar
28:54of the promised profit share.
28:58They claim they operated
28:59exactly like your lighthouse co-op,
29:01but it's nothing alike.
29:03The owner still holds all the power.
29:05We just have a fancy job title.
29:07They're tarnishing everything we built
29:09with our false advertising.
29:12We can't stand by
29:14and let them trick more workers.
29:15We need to expose
29:16their deceptive business practices publicly.
29:19Quick Eats retaliated
29:21against us shortly after.
29:22They filed a civil lawsuit
29:23accusing us of commercial defamation,
29:26demanding we take down
29:26our social media post
29:27and pay $100,000 in damages.
29:30We reconvened at the restaurant.
29:32All eight of us
29:32weighed down by the news.
29:34We don't have the funds
29:35for a lengthy court battle,
29:36but we didn't do anything wrong.
29:37You have a strong case,
29:39but litigation will drag on for months.
29:41We resolved to fight the lawsuit
29:42all the way through.
29:43This wasn't about money.
29:44It was about stopping other servers
29:46from being manipulated
29:47by another fake cooperative owner
29:48like Howard.
29:49The trial stretched on
29:51for eight months.
29:52Quick Eats attorneys
29:52tried to argue our accusations
29:54were baseless,
29:54but we submitted piles of evidence,
29:56witness statements
29:57from their exploited staff,
29:58copies of their
29:59deceptive employment contracts,
30:00and internal corporate emails
30:01sent to us
30:01by an anonymous whistleblower.
30:03In one email,
30:04their CEO explicitly wrote,
30:05market the restaurant
30:06as a worker co-op
30:07to draw applicants,
30:07then quietly revise the contracts
30:09once they're hired.
30:09The judge read the email
30:10out loud in court
30:11and immediately dismissed
30:12their defamation lawsuit.
30:14We won the case outright.
30:15That night,
30:16all eight of us
30:17gathered back of house again.
30:18No one spoke for a long while.
30:20We were all processing
30:21the weight of what had happened.
30:23We defeated another
30:24greedy corporation
30:25out to exploit service workers.
30:27In our third year
30:28of running the Coers,
30:29the global pandemic hit.
30:30All dine-in service
30:31was forced to shut down.
30:32We could only operate
30:33takeout orders.
30:34Our revenue plummeted by 70%.
30:36The eight of us held
30:37an emergency crisis meeting.
30:39Are we going to go out
30:40of business?
30:40We don't know,
30:41but we're going to fight
30:42to stay open.
30:43Those months were the hardest
30:44stretch of my entire life.
30:45I delivered takeout meals
30:47all day,
30:47then worked a remote
30:48customer service side gob
30:49every night.
30:50My daughter attended
30:51online school alone at home
30:53with no one to look after her.
30:54She would cry and ask,
30:55Mommy, when are you coming home?
30:58Soon, baby.
30:58But I had no real answer.
30:59All I knew was I couldn't give up.
31:01Closing our doors
31:01wouldn't just mean
31:02losing a restaurant.
31:03It would mean destroying
31:03the shared dream
31:04all eight of us had built.
31:05I can pick up extra
31:06bookkeeping clients
31:07for small local businesses
31:08and all that extra income
31:09will go towards
31:09covering the restaurant's bills.
31:11My son's doing remote
31:12school at home
31:13so I can work full-time
31:14delivering orders.
31:15My brother graduated college
31:16and landed a stable job.
31:18He's offered to send me
31:19money to help out.
31:19Government small business
31:20relief grants
31:21barely covered our monthly rent.
31:22Our local community
31:23kept us afloat.
31:24Regulars, large takeout orders
31:25and left enormous tips
31:27with every purchase.
31:28One customer order
31:29$20 meal left a $50 tip
31:30with a short note,
31:31Hang in there.
31:32Those two simple words
31:33carried us through
31:33our three darkest months.
31:35Is the restaurant doing okay?
31:37Everything's fine.
31:38You're lying.
31:39I've seen you crying.
31:40I'm just really tired.
31:41Then you need to rest.
31:43I don't want you to get sick.
31:45After hanging up the call,
31:47I cried for hours.
31:49Once pandemic restrictions lifted,
31:51business slowly bounced back.
31:53The first week we reopened
31:54full dine-in service.
31:55Foot traffic,
31:55it was only one-third
31:56of our pre-pandemic volume.
31:57The second week it rose to half,
31:59the third to 70%,
32:00and by week four
32:01we were operating
32:02at nearly full capacity again.
32:04We sat back of house
32:05reviewing our weekly sales numbers
32:06as they overquelmed
32:08with mixed emotions.
32:09We'd survived.
32:11Countless local restaurants
32:12folded during the lockdowns,
32:13including Howard's
32:14original Lighthouse Diner.
32:15His business shut down permanently
32:17in the second month
32:17of pandemic restrictions.
32:19When we heard the news,
32:20I felt no joy,
32:21only sorrow.
32:22He never had to end up bankrupt.
32:24If he'd never stolen our tips
32:26all those years ago,
32:27his restaurant might have had
32:28loyal customers
32:29to stain him through the crisis.
32:31But every terrible choice
32:32was his alone to make.
32:34His place closed,
32:35but we survived.
32:36What does that tell us?
32:37It means good people
32:39get rewarded in the end.
32:40It's not about
32:41good and bad luck.
32:42It proves that
32:43community and solidarity
32:45are far stronger
32:46than running a business alone
32:47for personal greed.
32:49That year,
32:50we issued our first
32:51official year-end bonuses,
32:53$1,000 per owner.
32:54It wasn't a huge sum,
32:56yet buy my son a new laptop
32:57for his online school classes.
32:59I'm getting my mother
33:00a warm winter coat
33:01she's needed for years.
33:04I'll put it towards
33:05paying off my brother's
33:06student loans.
33:07I'm taking my daughter
33:08to Disney World.
33:09She's begged to go for years.
33:16My daughter was 11 years old
33:18by then,
33:18and she screamed
33:19and jumped for joy
33:20when I told her the plan.
33:27In our third full year
33:28post-pandemic,
33:29we founded
33:30the Server Worker Cop Alliance.
33:32It wasn't a formal
33:33incorporated organization,
33:35simply a mutual support network.
33:38Any server facing
33:39wage left or stolen tips
33:40could reach out
33:41to us for help.
33:42We offered free
33:43legal referrals,
33:44protest and walkout planning,
33:46media support,
33:47and full mentorship
33:48for anyone who wanted
33:49to launch their own
33:50worker-owned restaurant.
33:52We connected them
33:54with labor attorneys,
33:55helped organize
33:56peaceful protests,
33:57and coordinated
33:58local media coverage.
33:59Many groups
34:00won settlements
34:01with full tip
34:02re-emmation
34:02and public owner apologies.
34:05Others were still
34:06navigating lengthy
34:07court battles.
34:08But none of them
34:09felt alone anymore.
34:11They knew our network
34:13stood firmly behind them.
34:16One day,
34:17a young girl called
34:17sobbing on control belief.
34:19Mrs. Sanchez,
34:20my owner's stealing
34:21my tips too,
34:22and I don't know
34:22what to do.
34:23You already know
34:23what to do deep down.
34:25You just need someone
34:26to tell you
34:26this isn't your fault.
34:28He's the one
34:28breaking the rules,
34:29not you.
34:30Where do I start?
34:31First,
34:32gather all proof
34:33of the stolen wages.
34:34Second,
34:35talk to every co-worker
34:36and find others
34:37being short.
34:38Third,
34:39stand united as a group.
34:41Fourth,
34:42call me back
34:42and I'll guide you
34:43through the rest.
34:44She followed every step
34:45exactly as we discussed.
34:49One year later,
34:50her owner
34:51repaid every stolen tip
34:52and her restaurant staff
34:54successfully formed
34:55an official labor union.
34:57She mailed me a letter
34:58that read,
34:59thank you,
35:00you completely changed
35:01my life.
35:02I wrote her back
35:03one line,
35:04I didn't change you,
35:05you did that
35:06all on your own.
35:07I only showed you
35:08that you had the power
35:09to fight back.
35:12In our fourth year
35:13running the alliance,
35:14I was invited to deliver
35:15a guest lecture
35:16at the local community college.
35:18It wasn't an elite university,
35:19just the same community college
35:21where I'd taken accounting classes
35:22years before,
35:23but I didn't care.
35:24Standing at the podium
35:25in front of over
35:26a hundred students,
35:27I told our full story
35:28from beginning to end.
35:29I recounted the stolen tips,
35:31our Friday night walkout,
35:32building our worker co-op
35:33from scratch,
35:34and launching the alliance
35:35to support other
35:36exploited servers.
35:38Mrs. Sanchez,
35:39what do you see as the future
35:40for restaurant servers?
35:41Will automation replace us?
35:43No.
35:44Will robots take over
35:45waiting tables?
35:45Absolutely not.
35:47The future for servers
35:48is dignity and respect.
35:49Respect from customers,
35:50respect from employers,
35:51respect written into labor laws.
35:53Waiting tables
35:54isn't a menial job,
35:55it's a skilled professional trade.
35:56We learn wine pairings,
35:58food preparation,
35:58customer care,
35:59and how to connect
35:59with all kinds of people.
36:01Machines can never replicate
36:02that human connection.
36:03Owners steal our tips
36:04only because they assume
36:05we'll stay silent and compliant,
36:06but we fought back
36:07and we proved them wrong.
36:08So our future isn't being replaced,
36:10it's being valued properly.
36:11The room erupted
36:12in long, thunderous applause.
36:14My legs shook
36:15as I stepped the stage,
36:17not from nerves,
36:18but relief.
36:18I'd spoken every truth
36:20I'd carried inside me
36:21for four long years
36:22and finally let it out.
36:23At the end of our fourth year
36:25of co-op ownership,
36:26we tallied our collective
36:27business finances.
36:28Over four years combined,
36:29our three lighthouse coat locations
36:31brought in over $2 million
36:32in total revenue.
36:33After splitting annual profits evenly,
36:35each of us took home
36:36more than $40,000
36:37in divent payments on average.
36:39It wasn't extreme wealth,
36:40but it was exponentially
36:41more stable income
36:42than we'd ever earned
36:43working for outside owners.
36:44Most importantly,
36:45we finally had financial security.
36:47We never worried
36:48about missing wages anymore.
36:50Every single tip we earned
36:51landed in our own pockets
36:53with zero unfair deductions
36:54or theft.
36:55Megan used her profit share
36:56to cover her son's
36:57first semester tuition
36:59at the state university
37:00where he enrolled
37:00in a computer science
37:01degree program.
37:02She cried all day
37:03holding his acceptance letter.
37:05I never dreamed I'd be able
37:06to afford college for him.
37:07I told her,
37:08you aren't doing this alone.
37:10All eight of us
37:10helped make this possible.
37:12Anna put her dividend money
37:13toward dance lessons
37:14for her young daughter
37:15who'd loved dancing
37:16her whole life
37:16but could never afford
37:17classes before.
37:18Every time I watch her dance,
37:20I know every hard fight
37:21we went through
37:22was completely worth it.
37:23When we spotted Mickey Mouse
37:25in the park,
37:25she screened with pure excitement.
37:28Watching her,
37:29I knew every late shift,
37:30every stressful protest,
37:32every tear,
37:32and every moment of anger
37:34had been completely worthwhile.
37:35When she saw the costumed
37:37characters in the park,
37:38she squealed with excitement.
37:39Seeing her like that,
37:41I knew deep down
37:41that every night shift,
37:42every stressful protest,
37:44every tear,
37:45and every moment of anger
37:46I had endured
37:47was absolutely worth it.
37:49In our fifth year,
37:50we opened a brand new
37:51lighthouse co-op
37:52across state lines.
37:53We didn't plan the expansion.
37:55Local servicers
37:56from that state
37:57reached out to us,
37:58desperate to build
37:59a worker-owned restaurant
38:00of their own
38:01after hearing our story.
38:03I, they lacked
38:03business experience,
38:05S-T-A-R-T-U-P capital,
38:08and industry connections,
38:09so they begged us
38:10to travel out
38:11and mentor them
38:12through the process.
38:13We held a group vote
38:14among the eight
38:15original founders,
38:16and every single one of us
38:17voted yes
38:18to help them.
38:19We sent Anna and Lisa
38:20to live in that state
38:21for three months
38:22to lead full training sessions,
38:23staff management,
38:24daily restaurant operations,
38:26transparent profit splitting,
38:27and co-op governance rules.
38:28On the grand opening day,
38:30Anna sent me a video clip.
38:31The local servers
38:32stood outside the restaurant
38:33wearing our signature
38:34linen aprons,
38:35grinning from ear to ear.
38:36The young server
38:37spoke directly to the camera.
38:38Thank you all
38:39for everything.
38:41We finally own
38:42our own restaurant.
38:43I texted her back,
38:44work hard,
38:45and never let anyone
38:46steal the money you earn.
38:48Okay.
38:49After that opening,
38:50our alliance grew
38:50to include worker co-ops
38:51in five separate cities
38:52with over a dozen
38:53restaurant locations total.
38:54Every single one
38:55followed our core rules,
38:56full server ownership,
38:57equal voting rights,
38:58and evenly split profits.
39:00In our sixth year,
39:01an investigative journalist
39:02published a full-length
39:02non-fiction book
39:03chronicling our journey.
39:04The book's title
39:05was Eight Stolen Tips,
39:06How Solidarity
39:06Rewrote Our Futures.
39:07The journalist
39:08shadowed us for six months
39:09interviewing one of
39:09the original eight founders
39:10and also tracked down Howard,
39:12who'd moved to another state
39:12post-pandemic
39:13to run a tiny neighborhood
39:14grocery store.
39:15In the book,
39:15Howard admitted,
39:16I made a terrible mistake
39:17stealing their tips
39:18all those years ago.
39:19They deserved that
39:20successful restaurant-strant
39:21far more than I ever did.
39:22Reading his confession
39:23left me with tangled,
39:24complicated feelings.
39:26He'd finally admitted
39:26his wrongdoing,
39:27but it came far too late
39:28to erase the harm
39:29he'd caused.
39:30He'd repaid the stolen cash,
39:31but he could never give back
39:32the trust he destroyed.
39:33Even so,
39:34I hoped to find peace,
39:35not out of forgiveness,
39:35but because holding on to anger
39:36every single day
39:37was exhausting.
39:38I refused to waste my energy
39:39to resent him any longer.
39:40I chose instead
39:40to pour all my care
39:41into my daughter,
39:42my Cope sisters,
39:43and every community
39:43we served through our restaurants.
39:45Once the book hit bookstore shelves,
39:47we were invited onto
39:47a national daytime talk show
39:48for an interview.
39:49The host asked,
39:50what's your secret
39:51to such incredible success?
39:52There is no secret,
39:53only a core belief.
39:55Every person deserves
39:56to keep 100% of the money
39:57they earn through hard work.
39:58No employer has the right
39:59to take that away.
40:00Did you ever want
40:01to give up entirely?
40:02Hundreds of times.
40:04But every time
40:05I felt defeated,
40:06I looked at my little girl.
40:08She needed me
40:09to keep fighting,
40:10so I kept going.
40:12In our seventh year,
40:14we expanded our
40:14worker co-op model
40:15beyond restaurant service
40:16work entirely.
40:17We began supporting
40:18grocery cashiers,
40:19house cleaners,
40:20and delivery workers.
40:21All of these workers
40:22faced identical
40:23unfair struggles,
40:24wage theft,
40:25unsafe work environments,
40:26and zero input
40:27over company rules.
40:28After learning our story,
40:29they reached out
40:29to replicate
40:30our co-op framework.
40:31We connected them
40:32with labor attorneys,
40:33affordable accountants,
40:35and small business
40:35loan lenders
40:36to launch their own
40:37worker-owned businesses.
40:38Some groups built
40:39thriving co-ops,
40:41while others struggled
40:41and closed down
40:42within a year.
40:43But every single one
40:44of them gained strength
40:45just from trying
40:46to stand up for themselves.
40:47One house cleaner
40:48named Maria organized
40:49over a dozen fellow
40:51domestic workers
40:51to form their own
40:52cleaning co-op.
40:53They booked all
40:54client appointments
40:55themselves,
40:55set their own service rates,
40:57and split all earnings evenly,
40:58no middleman agency
40:59skimping wages,
41:00no overbearing owner
41:01taking most of their pay.
41:03I attended their
41:03grand opening celebration.
41:05All the cleaners
41:06stood outside their office space
41:07in matching aprons,
41:08glowing with pride.
41:10In our eighth year
41:11of operation,
41:11a brand new challenge
41:12arrived at our door.
41:13A massive national
41:14restaurant corporation
41:15approached us
41:16with a formal buyout offer.
41:17It wasn't hostile,
41:18just a standard
41:19corporate acquisition bid.
41:20They're offering
41:21two million to buy our brand
41:22in all three stores.
41:23We'd get a big payout
41:24and retire.
41:25We held multiple long meetings
41:26to debate the offer.
41:27A few of us were tempted.
41:28Two million split eight months
41:29meant $250,000 per person.
41:32That money could pay off
41:32every mortgage,
41:33fully fund all our children's education,
41:35and set us up
41:35for early retirement.
41:36The majority of us, however,
41:37firmly opposed selling the co-op.
41:39If we sell the brand,
41:40our worker co-op mission
41:41dies entirely.
41:42Every server currently employed here
41:44will fall under
41:44corporate management again,
41:45and they'll likely face
41:46tips theft and unfair rules
41:47once more.
41:48We built these restaurants
41:49to escape exploitative owners,
41:50not to become one ourselves
41:51by selling out
41:52to a big corporation.
41:53We held a formal vote.
41:54Seven against the buyout,
41:55one in favor.
41:56The woman who voted yes
41:57later explained she faced
41:58sudden severe family medical bills
42:00and desperately needed the cash.
42:01We all sympathized
42:02with her hardship
42:02and held no resentment toward her,
42:04but our collective final decision
42:05remained unchanged.
42:06We would not sell.
42:07Local and national media
42:08covered our choice
42:09with the headline,
42:10Eight servers turned down
42:11two million buyout
42:12to protect worker co-op vision.
42:13Online commenters called us heroes,
42:15but we never saw ourselves that way.
42:17We simply never forgot
42:18the core reason
42:18we'd fought back
42:19all those years ago.
42:20In our ninth year,
42:21the Server Worker Co-op Alliance
42:23opened its own
42:23permanent office space.
42:25It was a small space
42:26on the third floor
42:26of an aging office building,
42:28only two small rooms
42:29plus a single meeting room,
42:30but it belonged entirely
42:31to our network.
42:32No outside landlord
42:33or owner controlling it.
42:34The walls were lined
42:35with photographs
42:36dating all the way back
42:37to our original grand opening,
42:38each photo holding
42:39its own unique story.
42:40We also displayed
42:41the published copy
42:42of Eight Stolen Tips
42:43alongside a state government
42:44trophy we'd received,
42:45naming us the state's
42:46most innovative
42:47small business of the year.
42:48On the awards ceremony day,
42:50I wore my faded
42:50original restaurant uniform
42:51t-shirt to the stage.
42:52Why wear your work uniform
42:53to accept this prestigious award?
42:55This is my everyday work uniform.
42:56I'm still a server first.
42:57I only stayed from the restaurant
42:59for an hour
42:59to pick up this trophy.
43:00The audience laughed,
43:01but I stayed serious.
43:02Every word I said
43:03was honest truth.
43:03I lifted the trophy high
43:04and turned to face Anna,
43:06Megan, Lisa, Samantha,
43:07Tina, Jessica,
43:08and Betty sitting in the front.
43:09This award doesn't belong
43:10to me alone.
43:11It belongs to all eight of us.
43:13None of us matters
43:14more than the rest.
43:15Every single one of us
43:16was necessary to get here.
43:18The crowd erupted in applause.
43:20Megan and Lisa cried openly,
43:21and though I held back tears,
43:23my eyes stung with emotion.
43:25Megan's hair was streaked
43:26with gray.
43:27Betty relied on a cane to walk.
43:29Tina's son had fully graduated college,
43:32and my own daughter turned 18 that year,
43:35preparing to enroll in university herself.
43:41We popped in a bottle of high-end champagne,
43:44a far drive from the cheap Supermic bottles
43:46we'd shared in our early years,
43:48and each of us poured a glass.
43:50Ten years ago,
43:51we stood outside that old diner
43:53holding flimsy signs,
43:54our hands shaking nonstop.
43:55I fully expected us to fail,
43:57to be harassed or hurt,
43:58but none of that happened,
43:59because we are eight people,
44:01not just one.
44:02A single person might be knocked down,
44:04but eight people won't be.
44:05Friends for ten years,
44:08comrades in arms for ten years.
44:10We've argued, bickered,
44:12and had our disagreements,
44:14but we have never drifted apart.
44:17Whenever conflict arose,
44:18we'd sit together
44:19and talk through every problem
44:21until we reached a shared agreement.
44:23We weren't perfect people,
44:25but we understood solidarity
44:27was our only real strength
44:29against unfair power.
44:30Here's to the next decade.
44:32Every woman lifted their cups high
44:35and echoed the toast,
44:36to the next ten years!