HR0281 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0281 LRB102 18375 MST 26222 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives would like to recognize the workers of the restaurant and food service industry for their tireless efforts during the past year and a half during the COVID-19 Pandemic; and

WHEREAS, 2020 and 2021 have presented a very difficult set of challenges for those who work in the restaurant and food service industry; and

WHEREAS, Many restaurants have had to shut their doors to the general public and send their dedicated workers home without the chance of getting a paycheck; and

WHEREAS, Restaurants and food service has had to adapt to the situation and adopt new ways to make their food available for carry out and delivery; these changes left those who work as hosts, hostesses, waiters, and waitresses without a means to earn a paycheck from their place of business; and

WHEREAS, With an ever-increasing number of people being vaccinated, things are starting to improve, and restaurants and food services are starting to open their doors to the general public to allow people to eat inside; and

WHEREAS, The problem that restaurants and food service now face is not the lack of customers but rather the lack of workers to operate their businesses; and

WHEREAS, Restaurants and food services in Illinois and across the country are facing a staffing shortage crisis that impacts every level of their industry; and

WHEREAS, Without proper staffing, restaurants and food services are overwhelmed with orders and customers, resulting in a delay in product output to match the customer volume; and

WHEREAS, Acknowledging the difficult times our service industry faces and practicing patience when going to a restaurant will ease the transition back to normal; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare the week of May 10 to 14, 2021 as "Restaurant Worker Appreciation Week" in the State of Illinois to recognize those workers who have been working since the very first day of the pandemic and those who continue to work through the difficulties of understaffing.