Yes! Thank you!

A decade ago, I was working as the “head pastry chef” at a cafe in Seattle, making $11/hour after a year. The owner was a man, but almost all the workers were women.

A new prep cook hire — a 6' 7" man— complained to me he was only making $14 an hour.

I went to the head chef, a woman, and asked her why he was making so much more than me.

She was clearly surprised to hear what he was making, but she told me she — the head chef of many years — made only $13, and I should just be glad I made more than the minimum wage baristas.

Meanwhile the baristas were told to be happy with their minimum wage, because they got tips and chefs didn’t.

Such a shitshow, but so horribly normal.

I made it my business to get everyone comparing our pay, and ultimately quit when they wouldn’t pay me more.