As a workers’ strike over alleged sexual harassment enters its second month, demonstrators and supporters held a rally in Carrboro on Sunday to continue their requests for change.
Dozens of people gathered in the Carrboro Town Commons and participated in a march to share support for employees of the Acme restaurant who are striking over unfair labor practices.
Staff at the Acme restaurant in Carrboro began their strike privately shortly after Thanksgiving before taking their demands public in December. Organizers said the decision to strike was made after management at the restaurant failed to address concerns about abuse of power by owner and chef Kevin Callaghan, including sexual harassment.
While the restaurant has since hired an outside law firm to conduct an internal investigation into the allegations, workers on strike have filed an unfair labor practice charge, established a fundraiser to aid striking employees and have communicated their demands to Acme.
Sunday’s rally provided an opportunity for Acme staff on strike to share their stories about the restaurant’s work culture and experiences with Callaghan, which included the sharing anonymous accounts of alleged sexual harassment and misconduct by the owner. Organizers also discussed the importance of labor unions and the challenges of improving workers’ rights in toxic work environments. Afterward, the rally held a march that went into downtown Carrboro and passed the Acme restaurant.
Madison Burns is one of the strike’s organizers and works as a server at Acme. She spoke with 97.9 The Hill about the event, saying she was pleased with the turnout and the support striking workers have gotten from the community so far. Through the fundraiser, the Acme employees were able to get through the Christmas holiday on the money raised, according to Burns.
Burns said while some striking workers do find it “frustrating” that negotiations are not happening faster and that regular communication between the two sides has stalled, more discussions are expected in the near future.
“We’ve had one round of communication with them so far,” said Burns, “but they really are pushing for the Noble Law Firm to finish their investigation before they start negotiating with us. I imagine next steps are that investigation gets wrapped up, we negotiate our demands and then, depending on how that goes, we go back to work and start the even-harder job of trying to unionize and move forward.”
A spokesperson with Nexsen Pruet, a law firm working with Acme, said the restaurant’s management team is taking the employee strike and their allegations seriously.
“We are working toward resolution with an independent investigation that is currently under way,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Chapelboro. “Our next steps will be informed by the results of that investigation which we expect to receive in the next few weeks. We have been and will remain in touch with the employees who are on strike and their attorney.”
Burns said despite the ACME strike not being about fair pay and more over an alleged toxic work environment, organizers hope to provide an example to other service industry workers looking to speak out about work practices.
“We also want to see the culture around the restaurant industry, especially in North Carolina, change and be more positive going forward,” said Burns. “So this was a rally to show the history around what’s been happening around Acme, but also to push forward a narrative of taking the power back and [putting it] into the hands of the people.
Carrboro Town Council member Danny Nowell was one of the main speakers at the strike on Sunday. He said he believes workplace and labor organizing is an incredibly impactful step to make significant change in society, whether it be for workers’ rights or other reasons.
“I grew up in North Carolina and I think a lot of us who have reflexively feel the right-to-work ‘shadow,'” said Nowell. “Labor organizing is hard anywhere, but it’s especially hard and discouraged here. To see it breaking through, regardless, and coming to fruition in places where I think [striking workers] can really win…that’s just tremendously encouraging.”
Durham County commissioner Nida Allam also spoke at the rally for striking Acme workers. She said amplifying the voices of local workers is a goal for her platform as an elected official, as well as part of her campaign to represent NC District 06 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“North Carolina, with our state legislature being Republican and gerrymandered, unfortunately is not a state that cares about working families and individuals,” Allam told 97.9 The Hill. “That’s why we need federal-level action and that’s why I hope to get to the federal level to pass the PRO Act, to make sure every single worker has the right to [unionize,] is treated with dignity and is protected in the workplace.”
Nowell said he also felt like supporting the striking workers is an example of the work he hopes to support as a newly elected official. He described it as unfortunate that a restaurant he enjoys is at the center of this action, but that it’s ultimately “gratifying” that significant change could come from the employees speaking out.
“I feel really strongly that workers don’t go on strike by accident,” Nowell said. “These are 21 employees who obviously have something to say at a place our community feels a shared stake in — a place that’s become a local institution. It’s appalling to think they’re experiencing treatment that doesn’t reflect our values in this community…but any worker on strike in Carrboro, I think, is doing a brave thing.”
Burns said ultimately, employees in the strike are hopeful their actions can help the business move forward.
“We don’t want Acme to shut down: we want them to work with us and build it back to a place that’s safe and fun,” she said. “We want to see them continue to be a cornerstone in the community and we wish that they would just talk to us.
“But also, this goes beyond Acme,” Burns added. “If you see this happening in your restaurant or your place of business, and you want to make a change, you can do the same thing we’re doing. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it in the end. The pandemic, I think, has brought to light a lot of things that are wrong with the service industry and other industries today. It’s really cool to see across the country people are starting to unionize and waking up to the fact that they are holding the power in their hands.”
Photo via Margot Lester.
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