Rekcha Eanni, a project coordinator for the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York (ROC) who has helped organize protests at the restaurant in question told the Press, “This will help make the ladder from busboy to more important positions like waiter and bartender easier to climb for people of color in New York.” Her statement emphasizes the long-standing issue of ethnicity in the haute cuisine business: While European immigrants advance through the restaurant hierarchy, many of their equally skilled Latin and Southeast Asian counterparts remain confined to lower-paying positions. “A lot of times people think it’s sophisticated to hear a waiter with an Italian or French accent, whereas one with a Bangladeshi or Spanish accent is not that appealing,” Eanni adds. 
   
The case dates back to 2005, when seven workers filed discrimination charges against Boulud with the EEOC. As negotiations seemed to break down, demonstrations by the ROC were held on a weekly basis (one of them included a group of forty people who marched into the restaurant during dinner time). The chef then sued the organization for defamation and harassment, alleging an unfair smearing of his restaurants’ highly praised image. But he dropped all charges as yesterday’s agreement came into play. Content with Boulud’s measures, the ROC pledged not to hold rallies at any of his restaurants for at least the next five years. So dine away.

If distributed equally, the increase will step up the price of a monthly Metrocard from $76 to $81 and the price of a weekly card from $24 to $25.50. It is not as steep a hike as the one implemented in February 2005, when the weekly card jumped 14 percent overnight, but it is guaranteed to vex ill-tempered commuters.

According to the MTA, the accrual is justified by an $800 million deficit that will swell up to 1.8 billion by 2010. Although most of it will be covered by tax revenues, officials say they will need more—a sentiment that even the Straphangers Campaign, the public transportation watchdog that came out with yesterday’s cleanliness poll, agrees with.

Besides mending MTA’s pockets, the plan also promises to improve service, such as by beefing up security and stretching a bus line from Staten Island to Bayonne. Hopefully, the joy of visiting New Jersey will outweigh the extra 6 bucks a month.

Photo courtesy of Maulleigh on Flickr