Quick Hit:

More than 50 congressional Democrats have pledged to boycott six popular D.C. restaurants, citing alleged union-busting tactics. The move throws political muscle behind a labor dispute shaking up the capital’s high-end dining scene.

Key Details:

• House and Senate Democrats signed a Unite Here Local 25 pledge targeting restaurants owned by Stephen Starr and Ashok Bajaj.
• Top boycott targets include Le Diplomate, Osteria Mozza, The Occidental, Rasika, Modena, and Bombay Club.
• Lawmakers cite solidarity with workers claiming "months of union busting"—accusations the restaurant groups strongly deny.

Diving Deeper:

Over 50 Democratic lawmakers, including high-profile names like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have signed a boycott pledge from the hospitality union Unite Here Local 25. The pledge targets six establishments where workers are attempting to organize, including Stephen Starr’s Le Diplomate and Osteria Mozza, and Ashok Bajaj’s Rasika and Bombay Club—frequent haunts for political fundraisers and power lunches.

“We can have big policy debates, but we also have to show the American people some concrete examples,” said Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), a leading progressive voice spearheading the boycott push.

The union alleges that restaurant owners have engaged in “months of union busting,” citing intimidation tactics and aggressive management behavior. While no formal union elections are scheduled, Unite Here insists the organizing momentum is real—and that D.C. customers should take a stand.

"Workers are calling for D.C. customers to boycott these restaurants, asking the public not to eat, meet or drink at these locations," reads the union pledge obtained by Axios.

But the restaurateurs are pushing back hard. Starr’s group called the boycott “baseless,” warning that it could hurt the very employees the union claims to represent. “A boycott of any kind can result in lost hours, wages, and tips that hardworking employees rely upon,” the company said in a statement. Bajaj added pointedly: “How many of these congress members even know themselves that they're signing?”

Some employees are rejecting the union’s framing altogether. A long-time server at Le Diplomate, Francisco López, told Axios that counter-protests have emerged among staffers who don’t support the union's tactics. Bajaj also claimed there have been no active pickets outside his restaurants for months.