[Editorial Note: The Partisan is happy to republish an article from The Service Worker, a revolutionary newsletter in the service industry.]

Midwood Smokehouse, like many other restaurants, was affected by the Border Patrol Operation known as “Charlotte’s Web”, a nearly 3 week constant attack on Charlotte’s Hispanic communities. Several workers in the back of house stayed home out of fear of being affected by the raids, both at work and during their commutes. The raids coincided with one of the busiest weeks of the year for the restaurant, where extra labor is dedicated towards preparing catering for Thanksgiving.

There was some speculation by workers at Midwood that Border Patrol agents ate in the restaurant during a lunch rush, but this remains unconfirmed. What is confirmed is that Border Patrol was pictured tackling a worker at a different restaurant in Charlotte. Immigrant workers were, and still are, at a risk of serving the very people who would snatch them from their families.

Keep in mind, Midwood Smokehouse does not offer employees sick or vacation time until after they have worked full-time for multiple years, then only 2 weeks of paid time off after the fact. Taking time off work to avoid a potential arrest or deportation is a severe blow to the many workers in Charlotte who are already living paycheck to paycheck. Not only that, but one worker who picked up the extra shifts reported not being paid for overtime during a week this was all going on.

The horrible conditions around payment, combined with the lack of considerable assurance that workplaces will be safe from the ICE raids, demonstrates the inability and unwillingness of FS Food Group to protect their employees. The workers at Midwood need to form committees to discuss and leverage these safety demands to the employers, and prepare worker defense leagues that rely on each other instead of the company.