South Carolina Waffle House Workers On Strike
There is nothing more dependable in life than The Waffle House being open. In fact, that’s when I really knew that the Covid-19 Pandemic was a REAL problem. On more than one occasion, in more than one state (in spring/summer 2020), I tried to go to the Waffle House only to find it closed. Shoot, even during MAJOR HURRICANES, The Waffle House is open. I bring this up because it appears that other than a worldwide health epidemic, the only thing that can shut a Waffle House down is striking workers.
The Waffle House at 7428 Garner’s Ferry Road in Columbia has a problem. Employees at that location walked out on the job Saturday morning at 10am. This came one week after delivering a list of demands in a petition to management. One can assume this grievances on this list were not addressed.
On the top of the list of Waffle House employee issues is security. Naomi Harris is a Waffle House server and active member on the Union of Southern States Service Workers. She’s quoted in The State as saying, “We are demanding Waffle House have security during all shifts. Last month I had an angry customer go get his gun out of his truck because he wanted hash browns instead of grits. Almost every day there’s a new incident that shows why Waffle House needs to pay for security on every shift.”
Other demands Waffle House workers want addressed include:
- An end to understaffing to improve customers’ safety, effectively run the restaurant and so workers can take breaks.
- Fix broken equipment in the restaurant.
- Treat workers with respect and dignity.
And of course, in any labor dispute, there’s ALWAYS a pay issue. Besides an increase in base pay, the striking workers would also like Waffle House management to end a policy of “mandatory meal deductions.” This was an eye-opener for me. Waffle House has a policy of taking money out of workers’ paychecks for meals-whether they eat food or not! WHAT?! That’s no different than if there was a mandatory meal charge for customers. Can you imagine accompanying a hungry friend to the Waffle House. He/she eats, you don’t. However, YOU get charged too? Wow. Ridiculous.
South Carolina's Best Outdoor Dining Includes These Spots
Summer is here, and is there anything better than enjoying a delicious meal, a refreshing cocktail or glass of wine, and the warm summer air and a nice breeze? The answer is no. There is not. If you disagree, you can stop reading this isn’t the information for you. Now that I have reached my target audience, I’ll elaborate. The dining experts at OpenTable have compiled a list of the best outdoor dining in the country. And with 50 states, countless cities, and limitless restaurants there is a lot of stiff competition. But the good news is that two different South Carolina restaurants made the list of best outdoor dining.
Open Table Best Outdoor Dining
According to OpenTable this list “spans restaurants coast-to-coast and is determined by verified diner reviews.” And I can verify it’s literally coast to coast because I saw one restaurant in Hawaii. And while I’ve never been to Hawaii, I’m pretty sure any outdoor dining there is superior. You’d probably assume the South Carolina restaurants included on this outdoor dining list are both on the coast. Right? Wrong. One is. The other is a long-time Greenville, South Carolina staple. I’ve seen so much lately about Greenville so I may have to go explore one weekend.
Not only was South Carolina included on the list. The Old North State of course was too. There were three North Carolina restaurants were recognized for their outdoor dining. Once again on the beach, and the other two in the same, that isn’t Charlotte or Raleigh. Time to plan some road trips because there is nothing more I want this summer than some incredible food, an Aperol spritz, and a patio. Preferably with a water view. Keep reading to learn all about the North and South Carolina restaurants included on Open Table’s list of the best outdoor dining. Want to see the full list? Get all the info here.
Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.
