RESEARCH SAYS NEARLY 10 MILLION
AMERICANS LOST THEIR JOBS AT THE
HEIGHT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
AND WHILE MANY OF THOSE JOBS
HAVE RETURNED, THE WORKERS HAVE
NOT.
"HERE AND NOW" SENIOR POLITICAL
REPORTER ZAC SCHULTZ SHOWS US
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE
RESTAURANT INDUSTRY AND WHY BOTH
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS BLAME
THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE BUT
FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
>> ANYWHERE YOU TRAVEL IN
WISCONSIN, YOU'LL FIND "NOW
HIRING" SIGNS.
>> I'VE GOT AN AD IN THE PAPER
THAT IS REOCCURRING EVERY TIME
THE PAPER IS PUBLISHED.
I'M LOOKING FOR A COOK AND
WEIGHT STAFF.
>> ROB AND HIS WIFE OWN A DINNER
CLUB IN RHINELANDER.
HE'S ALSO A REPUBLICAN
REPRESENTATIVE IN THE STATE
ASSEMBLY.
>> DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS
GETTING HELP THIS YEAR?
>> NO.
>> FAMILY HELP.
OKAY.
>> HE SAYS THE PROBLEM STARTED
ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY OF 2020.
>> WE HAD THE CORN BEEF IN THE
OVEN.
>> THAT'S WHEN GOVERNOR EVERS
ISSUED THE FIRST "SAFER AT HOME"
ORDER AND SHUT DOWN MOST OF THE
STATE IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE
SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS.
>> WE HAD RESERVATIONS AND WE
WERE READY TO GO AND THE LIGHT
SWITCH WENT OFF AND IT STAYED
OFF FOR A LONG TIME.
>> THE SHUTDOWN MEANT LAYING OFF
BARTENDERS AND WAITSTAFF.
WHEN THEY WERE ALLOWED TO OPEN
UP IN A LIMITED CAPACITY, HE
FOUND MANY EMPLOYEES WEREN'T
COMING BACK.
>> IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE SINCE
THEN TO TRY TO BRING THE STAFF
UP TO WHERE WE WERE PRE-COVID.
>> THERE IS NOT A SECTOR THAT I
KNOW THAT ISN'T SCRAMBLING FOR
STAFF.
>> KRISTINE HILLMER IS PRESIDENT
AND CEO OF THE WISCONSIN
RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION.
SHE SAYS A LOT OF WORKERS FOUND
JOBS OUTSIDE THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY.
>> W WE LOST 22% OF OUR WORKFOR.
THEY WENT TO OTHER INDUSTRIES,
SPECIFICALLY HEALTH CARE,
MANUFACTURING, RETAIL.
SO A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS ARE NO
LONGER AVAILABLE TO COME BACK
AND WORK.
>> IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER
THAT WE HAD A PEOPLE SHORTAGE
AND A LABOR SHORTAGE IN THIS
STATE PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.
>> FRANCESCA HONG IS CO-OWNER OF
A NOODLE SHOP IN MADISON.
SHE SAYS THE SHORTAGE GOES
BEYOND THAT.
GOVERNMENT HAS NOT ENACTED
POLICIES THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE
GET BACK IN THE WORKFORCE.
>> IF THERE WAS UNIVERSAL HEALTH
CARE, PAID SICK LEAVE,
AFFORDABLE, HIGH-QUALITY CHILD
CARE, WE WOULDN'T BE LOSING SO
MANY WOMEN IN THIS INDUSTRY.
>> WHEN HONG'S RESTAURANT CLOSED
DOWN, SHE DECIDED TO RUN FOR THE
ASSEMBLY AS A DEMOCRAT.
>> AND WE NEEDED A REALLY STRONG
WORKING CLASS VOICE WHO NOT ONLY
UNDERSTOOD THE NEEDS OF SERVICE
INDUSTRY WORKERS, BUT THOSE IN
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN MARGINALIZED.
>> THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
RESTAURANT AND BAR OWNERS IN THE
LEGISLATURE.
>> BUT LIKE SWEARINGEN, MOST OF
THEM ARE REPUBLICANS.
THEY FOCUSED ON ONE THING FOR
CAUSING THE WORKER SHORTAGE:
THE EXTRA $300 A WEEK IN
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS PROVIDED
BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
HELP WORKERS DISPLACED BY THE
PANDEMIC.
>> THE ONLY INCENTIVE THAT SOME
OF THESE PEOPLE HAD TO GET OFF
THE COUCH WAS TO GO TO THE
MAILBOX ONCE A WEEK.
>> GOVERNOR EVERS DIDN'T NEED
APPROVAL AND HE VETOED A BILL
THAT WOULD HAVE ENDED THE
PROGRAM DURING THE SUMMER.
REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE
MICHAEL SCHRAA WAS CONVINCED IT
WAS THE EXTRA $300 KEEPING
PEOPLE FROM WORKING AT HIS
CUSTARD SHOP.
>> I'LL PAY YOU $20 AN HOUR.
I'LL PUT YOU UP FOR THE WEEK.
I'M TEN EMPLOYEES SHORT.
>> DURING AN ATTEMPT TO OVERRIDE
THE VETO, HE SAID REPRESENTATIVE
HONG SHOULD SUPPORT ENDING THE
BENEFITS.
>> I KNOW THE GENTLELADY FROM
THE 76TH WHEN WE WERE ON THE
FLOOR A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, SHE
ACTUALLY CONFESSED TO ME THAT
SHE HAD TO BUS TABLES BECAUSE
SHE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH WORKERS.
>> I DIDN'T CONFESS #### TO YOU.
>> HER RESPONSE GOT HER MIC GOT
OFF FOR A MOMENT.
>> IT'S NOT A SURPRISE THE
GENTLEMAN FROM THE 53rd IS
STRUGGLING TO RETAIN WORKERS.
I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT TO
WORK FOR YOU.
IT IS AN HONOR TO BUS TABLES.
>> 17,459 PEOPLE ARE ON IT OUT
OF 3.1 MILLION PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHO YOU'RE GOING AFTER?
THIS IS POLITICAL THEATER.
>> 59 AYES, 37 NOS.
BILL 36 IS NOT PASSED.
>> THE VETO WAS UPHELD.
REPRESENTATIVE HONG HAS NO
REGRETS ABOUT THAT DAY.
>> SO IF ANYONE SHOULD BE
ATTACKING WORK ETHIC, IT'S THE
WORK ET ETHIC OF MY REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUES.
>> THE SAME JOB GROWTH RATE WAS
SEEN OVER THE SUMMER.
THE EXTRA $300 IS WEEK IN
FEDERAL BENEFITS ENDED IN EARLY
SEPTEMBER.
>> HAVE I HAD AN INCREASE IN
APPLICATIONS?
NO.
ONE OR TWO.
>> THE WISCONSIN RESTAURANT
ASSOCIATION SUPPORTED THE MOVE
TO END THE BENEFITS EARLY.
>> DO I THINK THAT THE FEDERAL
UNEMPLOYMENT DOLLARS HAD AN
IMPACT ON RESTAURANT WORKERS AND
SO ON?
ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK IT WAS A FACTOR OUT OF
MANY FACTORS.
IS THE ELIMINATION OF IT GOING
TO COMPLETELY TAKE AWAY THE
TREND THAT WE CAN'T FIND
WORKERS?
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
>> HILLMER SAYS BIGGER FACTORS
INCLUDE BABYBOOMERS RETIRING AND
NOT TAKING A PART-TIME JOB AND
THE NUMBER OF TEENAGERS WHO
DON'T HAVE TIME FOR WORK.
AND OF COURSE WE'RE STILL IN THE
MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
>> WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF
FOLKS THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
COVID AND RETURNING TO WORK.
>> ALL OF THIS HAS LED TO
CHANGES IN THE INDUSTRY.
FIRST, YOU NEED TO KEEP THE
EMPLOYEES YOU DO HAVE.
>> ONE OF MY EMPLOYEES CAME IN
LATE TONIGHT.
HAD SOME STERN WORDS WITH HIM.
GET BACK TO WORK.
I HAD NOBODY TO REPLACE HIM.
>> THE RESTAURANT COMMUNITY IS
ABOUT CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER AND
THOSE ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
RESTAURANTS, THE RESTAURANTS
THAT TAKE CARE OF THEIR STAFF,
BECAUSE THAT WILL ALLOW THE
STAFF TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR
CUSTOMERS.
>> REPORTING FROM RHINELANDER,