Meet Our Team

Raise the Bar Hospitality Union Incorporated (RBHU) has a democratically-elected committee of hospitality workers and supporters who steer the union and manage our campaigns. We also have a team of passionate volunteers who deliver our legal advocacy and our media and communications. We continue to develop our structure and welcome your ideas and involvement on how you would like everything to look at RBHU.

Committee Members for Raise the Bar Hospitality Union Incorporated

Chloe is the Founder of RBHU, she organises the media and communication strategy, hospo and welfare advocacy, employment law education, and the team at RBHU. She’s worked hospo for 16-years (and counting!) in nearly every position from FOH, bar, floor, and the kitchen. She’s volunteered for unions for 10-years and has been a workers rights activist for 15-years. Chloe has also written extensively about the impacts of low-waged work, addiction and recovery, and our punitive welfare system and has been published both nationally and internationally. In a previous life she trained as a secondary teacher and was a visual artist.

I’m Toby! Over the past five years, I’ve worked as an employment lawyer and legal advocate. This mostly involves keyboard work (sadly, not the musical kind).

In my career, I’ve always been driven to use my skills to empower everyday people and battle for decent working conditions. That’s why you’ll find me in the volunteer legal team at RBHU, providing advice and support to hospo workers.

I’m also the Secretary on your RBHU Committee, which mostly means more keyboard work (once again, not the musical kind). Being your Secretary involves organising meetings, recording minutes, and managing the admin needed to keep the union chugging along.

In my spare time, I’m a fan of card games. That’s right… I’m a legal shark AND a card shark!

My name is Anne-Lise, I am a coffee roaster based in Petone. Originally from France, I’ve worked in hospitality for over 10 years in restaurants, bars, and cafes before moving into coffee production.

I first heard of Raise The Bar through news articles about issues in the hospitality industry, where Chloe would be one of the few people to speak on behalf of workers. I’ve been through and witnessed my share of problems in my career and I wanted to help improve working conditions in the industry.

I’m currently studying part-time towards a Bachelor of Psychology and when I’m not doing that or working, I love spending time with my family, playing piano, and sewing all sorts of costumes I never wear.

I’m Alicia, a Brit who ventured over to this side of the world nearly 8 years ago, living in Australia for 2 years before I settled for the better side of the Tasman.

From the minute I could legally get a job, I worked in hospo at one of my favourite restaurants back home. Since then, I have worked in your local pubs and bars, to fine dining restaurants and luxury resorts, and have more recently found myself coming back to hospo after 4 years, whilst I undergo my studies in psychology. Ultimately, the long term plan is to become a clinical psychologist.

Prior to this, I was at Air New Zealand throughout the period where many staff were getting laid off due to COVID; it was here where I was able to see the amazing work unions to do support us. Additionally, I have had my fair share of problems while working within the hospitality industry, and a friend told me about RBHU, never did I know such a union existed for hospo workers!!

The fantastic support I received from the RBHU team started to channel my need to do more to support workers within this industry, as sadly, many employees are unable to voice their concerns/needs due to fear of retaliation from their employer. I believe people are the biggest asset to any company’s success and culture, and their livelihood and wellbeing should be of uttermost concern.

Kia ora! My name is Bhupendra Bhattarai, I’m originally from Nepal and I’ve been here in NZ since 2016.

I’ve done a Level 7 Diploma in Business Management and a Bachelor in Business Studies (and still want to study more!). I love being social and doing volunteering mahi.

I love to make e hoa and explore new places. Most parts of Aotearoa remind me of Nepal, such as the waterfalls, lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, and the Māori culture.

The greatest reminder of Nepal is Sir Edmund Hillary and Mt Everest of course! I’ve got plenty of hospo experience, with more than 7 years including FOH and managing a hospo business in NZ. I used to run my own hospitality business back in Nepal too.

Currently, I’m volunteering as a Treasurer with the Nepal New Zealand Friendship Society and Raise the Bar. My hope is to tautoko all the hospo workers in NZ.

Others Who Support Us

Ben McMahon is a website developer and digital strategist that works with a variety of charities advocating for human and animal rights. With his partner Emma, BE Business was set up while traveling overseas and used to fund their travels and help worthy causes with their skills.

Having worked in hospitality for many years during university and experiencing the poor working conditions and hours, Ben offered to help Raise The Bar with their online presence and online strategy as a donation to their fantastic work.

Peter grew up in America but has lived in Aotearoa for almost 30 years. He used to be a teacher and was very active in the PPTA Secondary Teachers union, with leadership positions at local, regional and national levels. He left teaching over ten years ago, retrained as a lawyer and has been an employment advocate for nine years. He currently volunteers at Community Law and is also a board member on Workplace Support, one of Aotearoa’s oldest EAP providers. Peter volunteers for our Legal Clinic, consults on complicated employment cases, and reviews some of our Personal Grievance letters.

Meet Our Team

Committee Members for Raise the Bar Hospitality Union Incorporated

Chloe Ann-King

Toby Cooper

Anne-Lise Mornard-Stott

Alicia Lloyd-Jones

Bhupendra Bhattarai

Others Who Support Us

Ben McMahon

Peter Moore

Take Action