This week on Meat and Three, we are examining what happens the moment the check arrives. We hear about the lived experience of being a tipped worker before turning to academics and advocates to explain the history and politics of tipping. Then, we talk to an expert on pay-what-you-can restaurants on the role of such establishments in the fight against food insecurity. Oftentimes, the ways we pay for our food goes unquestioned yet these guests prompt us to reimagine paying for our meals to better support the dignity of workers and eaters alike. This week teaches us that a few dollars can make a big difference. Join us next week to talk about big money as we explore the role of banking and finance in the food industry. 

Further Reading:

Saru Jayaraman is the President of One Fair Wage and the Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University California Berkeley. 

Listen to Shiftwork by the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation on Heritage Radio Network

You can read more about the history of tipping and its origins in the Reconstruction period here. Learn more about Restaurant Workers United on their website or on twitter @restaurauntwrkrs. 

You can follow the work of One World Everybody Eats at their website. Look for the “Find A Cafe” tab to see if there is a pay-what-you-can cafe near you. Check Taste Community Restaurant in Fort Worth Texas.

Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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