Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Announces She Will Return To Bartending In Support Of Raise the Wage Act

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used to sling drinks as a bartender not only before she ran for office, but during her campaign to become a U.S. Representative.

As she has shaken the Democratic Party during her freshman term in Congress, she plans to stir the conversation of raising the federal mandate for minimum wages, especially for professions like waiters and bartenders, who typically make less than minimum wage before tips.

Ocasio-Cortez will return to her native New York City, where she's a Democratic representative for Congressional District 14, to make drinks as a way to supports the Raise the Wage Act.

The New York Daily News published the news of her return to bartending, and Ocasio-Cortez tweeted her enthusiasm Tuesday evening.

"To the silver spoon classists saying they're going to 'make AOC bartend again': You're in luck! I'll be bartending in NY-14 this week to promote a national living wage.

"So there you have it, ya bunch of milk drinkers. Let's see if my margarita+mocktail game is still on point."

The Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United announced Ocasio-Cortez's temporary return to bartend for a cause, but the exact location won't be disclosed until later in the week, the Daily News reported.

"We're very grateful for our partnership with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who fully understands the struggles of these workers," said Saru Jayaraman, who is the ROC co-founder and president. "As a former tipped worker, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez can shed light on the importance of One Fair Wage to lift up these workers and their families."

Ocasio-Cortez notoriously worked at Flats Fix, a popular Mexican restaurant near Union Square.

Though the federal minimum hourly wage is $7.25, it has been raised by some city laws across the country, including to $15 an hour in New York, with $10 an hour for employees who receive tips. Those wages could move even higher if the act is approved.

If Raise the Wage Act is passed, federal minimum wages would double by 2024, per mandate.

"Restaurant workers in New York and across the country have been mobilizing over the last two years to demand that One Fair Wage will be passed in New York and the Raise the Wage Act in Congress," Jayaraman said. "It's time for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to listen to the voice of the majority of restaurant, nail salon and car wash workers."

Ocasio-Cortez, delving into her past jobs, said tipped workers often get overlooked in the battle for wages.

"When we think of tipped workers, we usually think of some restaurant workers," Ocasio-Cortez said last year. "But tipped workers are far more than that: they are nail salons, car wash techs, and more.

"These are all some of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy, built on labor with precarious pay, damaging work conditions and notoriously endures abuse and sexual harassment as a result," Ocasio-Cortez said.