More to the story about labor woes

On this holiday morning I sipped my coffee and re-read your Sunday editorial to make sure I hadn’t dreamt it. Our right to safe working conditions and leisure time was won through the blood, sweat, and tears of the labor movement. A tale of woe claiming laborers are too lazy to work in restaurants during a pandemic was not something I expected to read from a reputable local newspaper.

Kitchen staff have the highest rate of COVID-19 fatalities by occupation and the delta variant is hitting younger populations hard. I empathize with anybody who chooses to work in other fields, is immunocompromised or sick, or cares for children at home.

Workers can’t even afford a 1-bedroom apartment in Chico on $15/hour, so naturally many look for work elsewhere or go back to school. Inflating rents hurt workers as well as small businesses’ ability to retain a workforce.

I frequently hear that lowwage jobs are meant for students and youth, as opposed to a long-term career. Good luck maintaining a young, exploitable workforce in an aging nation with steadily declining birth rates. Chico State University enrollment has dropped consistently in the past three years, with approximately 1,600 fewer students enrolled in Spring 2021 than Spring 2018.

To continue enjoying local restaurants, we have to respect workers and ensure that food service industry jobs can at least afford a decent apartment. I hope to see more small business owners joining the call for housing affordability.

— Bryce Goldstein, Chico