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Garners Ferry Waffle House employees announce strike

Employees say they're not being paid enough and that they're being put in dangerous situations. Now, they say they've had enough.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — One week after they announced a petition and a list of demands, a group of local Waffle House workers is going on strike.

It's not a normal view when getting a bite to eat along Garners Ferry Road, a line of protestors picketing the Waffle House. However, Union of Southern Service Workers members joined Waffle House workers on Saturday as they officially went on strike.

Naomi Harris is one of the four employees who chose to strike and said they have a list of concerns.

"Our demands are fair and consistent scheduling, better security on all shifts, fix all the equipment in the store, and fair pay and to end the - Waffle House to end the meal policy," Harris said.

When they provided their list of demands earlier in the week, the workers gave a seven-day deadline. They said the needs had not been met.

Harris said the meal policy takes money from her paycheck every time she works for food, regardless of whether or not she eats. She said being paid less than $3 per hour; the money is hard to come by.

"They take around $3 to $4 to $6 every shift that we work; so, if you work a double, every time you clock in, they're taking that money out of your check," she said.

We can't sit down; we can barely go to the bathroom," she added. "We're that busy, let alone sit down and eat a whole meal."

Security is also a concern. She said she has feared for her life when dealing with intoxicated customers. She said there is security for some shifts, but she would feel safer if there was a constant presence.

"If we had better security, we wouldn't be looked at to handle these life-threatening situations," Harris said. "We'd have armed security; they could handle that."

Summer Schoolmeester-Cochran has worked at the location for less than a year and said her biggest concern is health and safety - issues she wishes would be addressed.

"I can be the only server working most nights and this can sometimes make it very hard to go to the restroom or be able to eat," Schoolmeester-Cochran said.

Waffle House responded to requests for comment with the following statement: "Waffle House is proud of its long record of effectively addressing any concerns our Associates report to us. We intend to do that directly with our Associates."

Harris said she hopes the noise and protest can bring about change for their store and service workers across the state and country.

"We will not stop fighting for what is rightfully ours," she said. "We're gonna make sure we're taken care of like we're supposed to on the job."

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