Letter to the New York Times on career opportunities

Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
229 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036

Dear Editor:

I take strong offense to the degrading light cast by Dean E. Murphy on the highly professional and respectable opportunities afforded to our nation's 12 million restaurant-and-foodservice employees (1/11/04, "A New World Order: Imagining Life without Illegal Immigrants"). Murphy not only misrepresents the rewarding opportunities abundant in the restaurant industry, but also insults the millions of Americans who have chosen a career in the restaurant industry.

As cornerstones of the economy, career and employment opportunities and community involvement, the restaurant industry plays an invaluable role in society. The restaurant industry is all about opportunity and a gateway to success, as nine out of 10 salaried workers started as hourly employees. Salaries for foodservice managers are growing at a rate twice as fast as the median salary for all managerial positions. And, as the nation's largest private-sector employer, the restaurant industry offers myriad positions in a variety of fields, providing quality jobs for nearly 9 percent of those employed in the United States—for a year or a career.

I hope next time The New York Times portrays a fair and accurate portrait of the 12 million hardworking Americans employed by our nation's restaurants.

Sincerely,




Steven C. Anderson
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Restaurant Association