On this day in New York City with a light dusting of snow on the ground, my restaurant friends have reported a sick out of their Mexican workers. The employers who shared that with me are hurt, especially one gentleman who is Mexican himself.
But some proprietors had a heads up.
Last night, my husband got a call from a former colleague of ours who worked with us at our restaurant, American Grill. She was scrambling to find someone to come in at 4 a.m. today to get the breakfast shift going. Another friend who pitched in to help texted me and said, “She asked me, ‘Do you think I should let them all go?’ And I told her, ‘Definitely….you gotta send a message.'”
I reported on a sick out due to Trump immigration stances in 2016. That protest sick out lasted a day and it was mighty quiet on Staten Island. It certainly gave a pause to most people.
I also heard third hand via a large food service employer that “the government” is specifically looking for those who have criminal records. And therefore, this particular employer is not worried — nor is his staff.
Will the people who called in sick come back to a job tomorrow? We shall see.
