More than 50 congressional Democrats signed a union pledge to boycott a half dozen Washington, D.C., restaurants.
The Democratic lawmakers signed Unite Here Local 25’s pledge to boycott restaurants, including Le Diplomate, Osteria Mozza, The Occidental, Rasika, Modena, and Bombay Club. Many are favorites of the Democrats’ power elite — Le Diplomate was one of former President Joe Biden’s favorite spots during his presidency.
Unite Here claims workers at the establishments “have endured months of union busting from their employers.” The group is now organizing informal picket lines outside the restaurants.
“We can say that all members on the list are personally boycotting,” Unite Here spokesman Benjy Cannon told Axios. “Many of them have been meeting personally with STARR and Knightsbridge workers all year.”
STARR owns Le Diplomate, Osteria Mozza, and The Occidental, while Knightsbridge owns Rasika, Modena, and Bombay Club. STARR is headed by Stephen Starr, a big-time Democratic donor.
The signatories are notable for including a diverse ideological range. While progressives such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are represented, centrists such as Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Jared Golden (D-ME) also signed on.
Two of the most vocal congressional supporters are Reps. Gregorio Casar (D-TX) and Landsman.
“With these restaurants that are frequented so much by members of Congress, our boycott of fundraisers and visiting could have a real impact — could really help these workers,” Casar told Axios.
“This is our opportunity when we’re here in Washington, D.C., to not just go vote in the Capitol but actually go out in the community and make a difference,” he added.
Landsman voiced hope that their action would create an example.
“If a bunch of workers are organizing across multiple restaurants here in D.C., it will get attention. Absolutely,” he said.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Casar and Landsman for further comment.
STARR derided Local 25’s call for a boycott as “baseless.”
DEMOCRATS CONFRONT ‘EXISTENTIAL’ PROBLEM OF WINNING BACK BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS
“A boycott of any kind can result in lost hours, wages, and tips that hardworking employees rely upon,” it said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that an organization that claims to want to represent employees would call for an action that would harm them.”
Local 25 represents 7,000 workers across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.