New Routes Partner's Research Featured in Report on Conditions for Chinese Restaurant Workers in San Francisco

http://sfcitizen.com/blog/2010/09/17/half-of-chinatown-restaurant-workers-make-l...

Chinatown restaurant workers in conjunction with the Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) and key research partners will release a study that exposes sweatshop conditions in restaurant workers in the popular tourist district Chinatown. This groundbreaking report examines health and working conditions in Chinatown restaurants, with over 400 workers interviewed by their peers, and lays out a vision for improving working conditions for a healthy Chinatown.

Key findings about the working conditions include:

1 out of 2 workers (50%) receive less than minimum wage;
1 out of 5 workers (20%) work more than 60 hours a week;
Nearly half (48%) of workers have experienced a burn injury;
Only 3% of workers have employer provided health care; and
95% do not receive a living wage

Check, Please! was funded by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOHS), The California Endowment and The California Wellness Foundation. The research was designed and conducted by restaurant workers in partnership with researchers from UC Berkeley and UCSF San Francisco, UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health Program, and the San Francisco Department of Public Health, with writing support from the DataCenter. The full report and executive summary will be available online at www.cpasf.org.

Tags: UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health Program, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
Topics: Business, Economics, Immigrants, Partnerships, Public Health, Work