Raise the Bar Hospitality Union is just two months shy of celebrating its first year as a registered union.
Leader Chloe Ann-King says it has been a time of incredible progress for the hospitality rights organisation, which she founded four years ago.
“It was an emotional moment when we received our union registration, because it took a mammoth amount of volunteer mahi to get there,” says Chloe.
“RBHU has undertaken substantial mahi within the hospitality industry to educate workers about their rights and ensure they can access employment and welfare advocacy.”
As well as offering a range of support services to its 200 union members – including a multi-media help centre, fortnightly employment clinics and legal representation – Chloe says an important part of RBHU is getting hospitality workers’ perspectives to inform the industry.
“The voices of hospitality workers have been missing from the conversation for a long time.
“We have provided opportunities for members to contribute to official submissions on COVID-19 vaccination issues, a proposed Income Insurance Scheme, and the Fair Pay Agreements Bill. We empower our members to speak up in the media to counter the consistent stream of hospitality employer voices.”
Since becoming a union, the RBHU and its members have been quoted in more than 20 news articles and radio interviews.
Legal backing
Backed by the expertise of employment lawyer and RBHU committee member Toby Cooper, RBHU represented 44 hospitality workers in raising personal grievances with their employers and brought 33 of these to a resolution.
“Our legal representation provides advice and advocacy on employment issues for things like disputes, unjustified dismissals, restructures disciplinary actions and unreasonable wage reductions,” says Chloe.
“We provide welfare advocacy to a variety of our members who need support accessing WINZ. We know hospo workers are often in precarious work and can have their shifts cut at any moment and we don’t want our members to go without.”
Filling the gaps
RBHU has been recognised for its contribution to AUT’s Voices from Hospitality's Front Line report, which surveyed nearly 400 hospitality workers about their experience in the industry.
Chloe says the findings, published in April 2022, provides data and insights that “just didn’t exist before” and paints a dire picture of the industry.
RBHU has since established an ongoing research partnership with AUT’s Hospitality and Tourism Department.
“We will be working closely with them to undertake future industry surveys.”
Speaking from experience
The majority of the RBHU committee has more than 10 years’ hospitality experience.
Chloe’s 17 years in the industry have included harassment, low wages and being fired for her advocacy work. Despite this, she still works in the industry and loves her job.
“I love working in hospitality and the people I work with. I’m good at my job and highly skilled. I didn’t start a union to leave the industry, I started it to make hospitality a better for everyone who works in it.”
Chloe is proud of the impact RBHU has had so far but says there is much more mahi to go.
“Our next goal is to up our membership and collectively bargain a fair pay agreement for our industry.
“We will fight tooth and nail to do so.”
