ROC-NY

In the spring of 2008, two and a half years after the campaign started, ROC-NY and the Fireman Group signed an agreement, the largest in the organization's history.

In spite of their commitment to exposing low-road behavior, ROC-NY did not make the mistake of treating all restaurant owners as the enemy.

When another Cite prep cook, Floriberto Hernandez, met Jayaraman, she told him that if three workers showed up, ROC-NY would invest in their fight.

Until then, ROC-NY's work had been limited to the back of the house, where there are no white people in the lower job categories.

Neither was viable for restaurant workers, so ROC-NY agreed to match the Italians' $500,000 investment, intending to place its dividends in a separate fund for new co-ops.

The deal fell through, but the landlord didn't return the money, forcing ROC-NY to sue for repayment.

Months earlier, the members had agreed to a design in which the Italians and ROC-NY each held a 40 percent interest.

Five members presented demands to ROC-NY, including a 33 percent share for the worker-owners.

Mamdouh gathered the crew by shouting: "todos, todos." He led the ROC-NY chant in four languages.

Forty percent of the business is going to two people, the leaders of ROC-NY. I can't mention to you how often I've cried at night over this.