Support for boycott of Barra Barra and Fiestas de Reyes restaurants

June 2, 2009

We, members and supporters of the San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality (SAME), a grassroots alliance that has been in the forefront of the movement for marriage equality in San Diego, stand in solidarity with the struggle of restaurant workers in Old Town for their jobs. We also support UNITE HERE Local 30’s call for a boycott of Barra Barra and Fiestas de Reyes restaurants until a just resolution is reached.

In early March, 2009, 130 long-time workers at these restaurants in Old Town were unceremoniously fired en masse when Chuck Ross purchased the businesses, leaving these workers without work needed to support their families in these hard economic times. The firing was an apparent effort to eliminate the union and reduce the pay and benefits paid to restaurant employees at Old Town.

Some members of the LGBT community have wondered what the fate of these workers has to do with LGBT rights. The answer is simple. We cannot effectively fight for justice and equality for ourselves while remaining silent when our brothers and sisters similarly face injustice. Rather, we must build a movement that supports justice and equality for everyone.

Moreover, most people in our community work for a living and need the protection of a union on the job. We need the living wages and health insurance that union representation brings, as much or perhaps even more than our heterosexual counterparts.

Of course, it saddens us that a supporter of our community is responsible for this despicable action against the workers. But the fact that Chuck Ross supports LGBT causes does not provide him with a free pass to violate with impunity the rights of others.

Many years ago, Harvey Milk pioneered an alliance between labor and the burgeoning gay rights movement in support of a boycott of Coors Beer. He recognized that building this alliance can only strengthen both our movements and bring us closer to day when discrimination and injustice is eliminated. We think Harvey would be with us now in support of the Old Town Workers.

An injury to one is an injury to all. Please join us in supporting the Old Town workers.

SAN DIEGO ALLIANCE FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY