Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez A Former Bartender Advocates For A Living Wage

She’s got, class. Working class! Representative  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is as comfortable ‘knocking down the House’ as she is tending bar. Unashamed of her Boricua, working-class upbringing, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or AOC took shots at the ‘silver spoon classists’ and other critics who want the U.S. Congresswoman to go back to bartending. This Friday, May 31st – AOC a former bartender in her working-class neighborhood of Queens-NY14,  will be at a restaurant to raise awareness for the Raise The Wage/ One Fair Wage Act, which would eliminate a lower minimum wage for tipped workers in the service industry. The event is organized by the group Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) United, which has been calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to pass the act in New York.

The “Una de las nuestras” One of Ours, Representative Ocasio-Cortez announced her plans on Twitter.

To the silver spoon classists saying they’re going to “make AOC bartend again”:

You’re in luck! I’ll be bartending in NY-14 this week to promote a national living wage.

So there you have it, ya bunch of milk drinkers?? Let’s see if my margarita+mocktail game is still on point https://t.co/zO7YBA0LCL

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 29, 2019

The restaurant industry is the fastest-growing economic sector but the lowest paying. Restaurant servers in some states make State/Federal mandated minimum wage + tips – the Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour. Some states like California, are higher at $12/hr by 2020. These wages still keep service workers or ‘tipped workers’ at or below the poverty level. A majority of the lowest paying of service workers are women, women of color, people of color who juggle multiple gigs to make ends meet. Having a ‘paycheck to paycheck’ quality of life is no way for Americans to live.

Service workers took praise and rallied behind Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bartending as a demonstration of her service worker roots and stance and advocacy for a living minimum wage for all. After all, a Congress Representative’s job is to serve the public – no different from a service worker at a restaurant.

This is so damn spot-on. We take pride in work not status.

The whole point is that, like a waitress, a congressperson’s job is to serve.

— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) March 8, 2019

“That’s why we call it “SERVING IN CONGRESS. “But too many people “serving” in Congress believe their job is to serve the special interests, the lobbyists. Thank you, @AOC, for reminding us all that Congress is #ForThePeople “ said one Twitter follower.

If the Raise the Wage Act is passed, federal minimum wage would double by 2024 to $15/hr, per mandate, making it possible for service ‘tipped’ workers and their families to survive.