Kate Conroy

On the shifting sandbanks of Bangladesh’s Jamuna River, life is lived on the edge—geographically, economically, and socially. These river islands, known as chars, appear and disappear with the rhythm of the monsoon. Entire communities are built, eroded, and rebuilt again, often many times within a single lifetime. For those who live here, instability is not an exception but a condition of existence.

If you missed last month’s column, here’s a recap: “Junk Fees” (HF 3438/SF 3537) passed in the spring, and we are fighting hard to find a way for hospitality to be as unaffected as possible because: 1.) Service fees are the primary way owners and operators can pay back-of-         the-house folks (who are predominantly people of color) a living wage. Because pay equity is something owners and operators care about.

Last month’s policy break was delightful, wasn’t it? So much good news focused on Workforce Development is hard to resist. As it turns out, policy didn’t take the same break. The good news is, our team is hard at work on Junk Fees (sidebar: has there ever been a more insulting name for a bill?).