Slope restaurants cited for underpaying workers
http://ny1.com/7-brooklyn-news-content/top_stories/109206/state-labor-dept--finds-park-slope-restaurants-underpaid-workers
Inspections of 25 restaurants showed them paying workers as little as $2.75/hour, the worst violations being for delivery people who were paid as little as $210 to $275 a week for 60 to 70 hours.
Inspections of 25 restaurants showed them paying workers as little as $2.75/hour, the worst violations being for delivery people who were paid as little as $210 to $275 a week for 60 to 70 hours.
Comments
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Scumbags. What happened to the American Dream? These guys need to be cut a break.
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I'm torn. I frequent some of these places and I would hate to encourage people not to dine at these establishments because that could mean some of their workers losing all income. Maybe patrons can pressure management to pay fair wages.
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Being that some very good friends of mine were mentioned in that article, I am going to reserve comment. I do intend on speaking to them about it.
I can understand the realities of both having to pay people a fair wage and trying to stay afloat in the restaurant business. I understand both what it means to out those who are trying to scam others as well as the "gotcha" nature of "shame shame shame on you" style exposes. I also know that many, many, many more people work in this cities for wages lower than minimum wage. this is the absolute tiniest of samples.
People should do what feels right to them as far as frequenting, or not frequenting, a restaurant for whatever reason. It wouldn't stop me from doing so. -
it's important to note that the establishments they caught either have settled and are paying back-wages or are in the process of settling. It's not an "expose article", it's a report of an enforcement action by the NYS Dept of Labor, and hopefully the true, lasting value of it will be that business owners will realize they can and do get caught committing wage theft and end up having, at the very least, to fork over the money.
I wouldn't pull my business from one of these places based on this, I would continue to visit so that their employees can continue earning a living. -
Does this really surprise anyone?
Rents are astronomical. We're in a recession and people are dining out less. Restaurants exist on an absolutely razor thin margin. To stay in business most restaurants have to cut whatever corners they can; in many cases that means pushing the boundaries of what they pay people. It's either that or raise prices to a point that is unsustainable.
Sadly the likely result of this is that many of the people getting these back payments will find themselves out of work as their restaurants won't be able to afford to keep them and we'll probably see a couple of these places end up as empty storefronts. -
scottb2k wrote: It's either that or raise prices to a point that is unsustainable.
Agreed. Anyone who is shocked, shocked to find out that there are underpaid restaurant workers in this (or any other) city might have been living in a cave for a while now.
Sadly the likely result of this is that many of the people getting these back payments will find themselves out of work as their restaurants won't be able to afford to keep them and we'll probably see a couple of these places end up as empty storefronts.
Regardless, scott is right. Restaurants are going to start going out of business even quicker than before, either through people boycotting them over this bad press, or, through the simple economics of being forced to pay all their employees a "fair" wage and then passing that increase on to the customers. Prices are going to jump, people will increasingly stay away, and restaurants are going to disappear. -
Park Slope Restaurants With Violations:
The following restaurants are negotiating a resolution for payment:
Aunt Suzie's Restaurant
Bagel World
Bogota Latin Bistro
Coco Roco
Joe's Pizza
Marcho Corp's Cholita
Olive Vine Cafe (two locations)
Rachel's Taqueria
Sette
Song
Taqueria
Uncle Moe's
The following restaurants have made full or partial payments:
Baluchi's
Mezcali's Mexican (three locations)
Miriam Restaurant
Mr. Wonton
Nana Restaurant
Red Hot Szechuan
Slim Lamb "Miracle Grill"
Sotto Voce
Sweet Melissa Park Slope -
I find it hilarious that most of these posts find some extenuating circumstance to defend their favorite take out restaurant. High rents competition etc. Some even sound like a bunch of Republicans trying to keep the minimum wage down! I suspect the same posters would be falling over each other to voice their protest about the likes of Walmart moving into the neighborhood.
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I would like to know which 2 were compliant. I haven't seen that info anywhere.......
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Funny, it cites some of the most popular restaurants in the neighborhood. And there are some people defending this? A pastry shop keeping more of the dough for itself? And some of these restaurants pitch themselves as being so great. Notice that the neighborhood's 24-hour establishments aren't on the shit list.
Also noticed that none of this timely information is on the infamous Brooklyn Paper's website, a place where one would expect it to be. -
yes, it is odd how some came so quickly to the defense of these jerks.
i will def avoid the restaurants that still haven't negotiated a settlement. -
BrooklynGigCenter wrote: Park Slope Restaurants With Violations:
I guess I've been boycotting these restaurants for awhile now mainly because they are all mediocre. MIddle of the road Mexican, crappy Asian-fusion and unremarkable pizza.
The following restaurants are negotiating a resolution for payment:
Aunt Suzie's Restaurant
Bagel World
Bogota Latin Bistro
Coco Roco
Joe's Pizza
Marcho Corp's Cholita
Olive Vine Cafe (two locations)
Rachel's Taqueria
Sette
Song
Taqueria
Uncle Moe's
The following restaurants have made full or partial payments:
Baluchi's
Mezcali's Mexican (three locations)
Miriam Restaurant
Mr. Wonton
Nana Restaurant
Red Hot Szechuan
Slim Lamb "Miracle Grill"
Sotto Voce
Sweet Melissa Park Slope
The restaurants who aren't on the list deserve some love. Well done Subway, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts & Atomic Wings. -
Daveon8th wrote:
+1 Daveon8th
The restaurants who aren't on the list deserve some love. Well done Subway, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts & Atomic Wings. -
Starbucks isn't on the list either. They pay above minimum wage.
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modsquad wrote: I find it hilarious that most of these posts find some extenuating circumstance to defend their favorite take out restaurant. High rents competition etc. Some even sound like a bunch of Republicans trying to keep the minimum wage down! I suspect the same posters would be falling over each other to voice their protest about the likes of Walmart moving into the neighborhood.
Oh give me a break...can you be more melodramatic?
People are just pointing out that no one should be suprised this goes on. I guess though in your world pointing out that most restaurants underpay people (especially the low level dishwashers and delivery guys)equates to being a republican...:roll: Did you really think the mexican guy who delivered your panini last nght was getting paid well? Are you really that naive? For the record I would love a walmart to open up nearby. -
scottb2k wrote: For the record I would love a walmart to open up nearby.
lol, scott, I couldn't agree more. -
modsquad wrote: [quote=scottb2k]For the record I would love a walmart to open up nearby.
lol, scott, I couldn't agree more.
Indeed. -
...I've always loved the myth that somehow "we in the city" have standards, and therefore will not allow Walmart, because they underpay their workers.
Yet, many of us schlep crap back from there whenever we are out of the city ...and turn a blind eye to huge numbers of people working below minimum wage within a half mile of where we live.
"We are better than them" (?) -
Jimmy wrote: [quote=modsquad][quote=scottb2k]For the record I would love a walmart to open up nearby.
lol, scott, I couldn't agree more.
Indeed.
Walmart ftw! Gimme summa those sweet sweet t00b socks -
Wow. That restaurant employees are poorly paid is the reason we tip even delivery people at least 20% of the bill. Now I have a clearer idea why the delivery guy from Mr. Wonton expects us to be at the door in five seconds flat and is grumpy even although he knows we always tip fairly.
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It takes all 4 of my hooves to count the number of times I've seen the above bumpersticker in the Matamoras PA Walmart lot on the back of a NY tagged Forester.
another favorite
Mouger, don't forget the red velvet twinkies! Sometimes they're still warm in the package. -
There is no excuse for a restaurant not paying its workers the minimum wage. None. Period. No, it is not surprising, but they have been now been caught red handed. I just hope that these restaurants received a heavy fine in addition to having to pay back wages. That is the only way to ensure that they don't do it again and it will serve as a deterrent to others.
I also plan to not eat at any of these places any time soon. There are a TON of good restaurants that are not on this list. -
Jamzer wrote: I also plan to not eat at any of these places any time soon. There are a TON of good restaurants that are not on this list.
how about instead of boycotting them, go eat there and ask your server if the owners are complying with the wage laws yet. i.e. let them know their patrons and neighbors are still checking up on them, when the department of labor has moved on to other neighborhoods. -
Squindar, exactly.
...but a central part of the argument is that customers must be willing to pay more for food that is prepared/delivered by workers who are paid min wage or above.
Without that, it is simply a "race to the bottom", wherein the restaurants paying the lowest wages stay in business, and those who pay minimum wage go out of business.
...there is no shortage of people willing (and desperate) to work for below min wage. -
Jamzer wrote: There is no excuse for a restaurant not paying its workers the minimum wage. None. Period. No, it is not surprising, but they have been now been caught red handed. I just hope that these restaurants received a heavy fine in addition to having to pay back wages. That is the only way to ensure that they don't do it again and it will serve as a deterrent to others.
Yeah, that's it. Boycott the restaurant then the restaurant will have to fire these people since business is down.
I also plan to not eat at any of these places any time soon. There are a TON of good restaurants that are not on this list. -
whynot_31 wrote: Squindar, exactly.
Yeah - the end result of a boycott, across-the-board wage hikes, or even just of these fines, is restaurants going out of business. How is that going to help these workers? The simple fact is that they're willing to work these hours for these wages. If they aren't willing to do so, I bet there's someone else who will. It doesn't make it right, but putting the restaurants out of business isn't going to improve the situation.
...but a central part of the argument is that customers must be willing to pay more for food that is prepared/delivered by workers who are paid min wage or above.
Without that, it is simply a "race to the bottom", wherein the restaurants paying the lowest wages stay in business, and those who pay minimum wage go out of business.
...there is no shortage of people willing (and desperate) to work for below min wage. -
No, but it means that the owners of the business will suffer for having cheated their least empowered workers. Let management share the pain!
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Or,
1. Abandon minimum wage, which isn't enforced anyway.
2. Enforce min wage laws.
The present "method" seems to depend on the public taking action as a result of bad press. To me, it seems flawed on several levels.
Some countries have their citizens pay their government to effectively enforce min wage laws, ours is not one of them. -
whynot_31 wrote: Or,
Not to sound all *gasp* Republican, but I'd be fine with #1. But your last point confuses me - we should have to pay the government to enforce its own laws?
1. Abandon minimum wage, which isn't enforced anyway.
2. Enforce min wage laws.
The present "method" seems to depend on the public taking action as a result of bad press. To me, it seems flawed on several levels.
Some countries have their citizens pay their government to effectively enforce min wage laws, ours is not one of them. -
How and when will we know the results of these negotiations? I think it's a good idea to avoid these places until they settle their debts. I guess this explains why the price of a Coco Rocco chicken has barely changed over the past 10 years.
By the way, I wonder if my landlord would fall for the same high rent excuses people here are making for their shifty chefs. "Sorry I can't pay full rent, but well, the rents around here are high."
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