Why workers at this Cobb County Waffle House are the latest to go on strike

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

The striking employees, some of whom are USSW members, are seeking increased security, pay raises and an end to Waffle House’s mandatory meal deduction policy.

Waffle House has seen several worker protests in recent years, with demonstrations in October 2023 and multiple union-coordinated rallies and strikes early last year.

Last June, Waffle House CEO Joe Rogers announced that base pay would rise to at least $5.25 an hour at all locations within two years. He added that menu prices would increase to pay for the changes.

Georgia is not a state that is receptive to unions, but in recent years there has been an uptick in organizing activity — particularly in retail, restaurant and services companies. Waffle House, Starbucks cafes and Amazon warehouses have been among the higher profile targets.

One of the striking employees, who identified herself only as Kat due to concerns about retaliation, shared more details about the company’s mandatory meal deduction. She said Waffle House takes a portion from each worker’s paycheck, about 30 cents an hour or a maximum of $3 per shift. That deduction is meant to pay for a discounted meal at Waffle House during each shift, but Kat said employees often don’t eat while they work, usually because they are too busy. The money is automatically deducted whether employees take the meal, she said, and the deduction comes after taxes.

Kat said the base pay for tipped workers at Waffle House typically starts at $3 an hour, a little above the state and federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13. That hourly pay rate relates directly to the striking workers’ second demand: Minimum hourly pay of $25.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Another striking employee, 21-year-old Mark Burgrom, said he was surprised to learn the hourly pay rate for other Waffle House workers. He remembered thinking, “Wow, people are really trying to live off this little bit of money.”

Burgrom works the third shift, which covers the late night and early morning. He said Waffle House policy changes in recent years have made it more difficult to make tips during those hours. The Waffle House unit on Windy Hill Road closes its dining room from 11 p.m.-6 a.m., switching to takeout-only.

Burgrom said the change has resulted in less opportunity to earn tips. There’s also a service fee added to all Waffle House takeout orders, which he said many customers assume is a tip. However, the fee is split equally between the company and the tipped employees, Burgrom said.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

The issue of safety was paramount to most of the striking workers. One employee, Katie Giede, said during her speech that she was stalked by a customer. The man began insisting that only she serve him and frequently made her uncomfortable with his comments, she said. According to Giede, she reported the issue to management but “nothing was ever done about it” until there was a more serious incident.

Giede said the situation intensified one morning when the customer tried to force her into his car.

“It took a month after that incident just to get him banned from that store,” she said.

Kat, who also works the third shift, said she’s had customers spit at her and throw food through the takeout window. She and other employees said there was a button installed in the building to automatically call the police, but that Cobb County police response times were often too slow to handle the quickly escalating situations workers sometimes face.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

“Cops don’t usually show up until the people have already left,” Kat said. “There’s nothing they can do because people are gone, and management, in my experience, has just laughed.”

Burgrom said the Waffle House on Windy Hill Road has security cameras installed, but he feels they are used to monitor employees more than protect them.

“They’re really just watching their workers,” he said.

Waffle House representatives have not responded to a request for comment. The Cobb County Police Department has not responded to a request for comment about emergency response times.