SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KNX) —More than 230 current and former Burger King employees in San Francisco said they’re still waiting to be paid, according to two non-profits who represent the employees.
In June 2020, the California Labor Commissioner’s Officer slapped Golden Gate Restaurant Group with a $1.9 million wage theft citation that occurred between 2016 and 2019 following an investigation. In the citation, Golden Gate Group owner Monu Singh and two other individuals were deemed “each jointly and severally liable”, and that there were multiple violations, including not paying employees minimum wage, prohibiting meal or rest breaks, and not paying overtime.
Trabajadores Unidos Workers United and Legal Aid at Work, said in a press release they learned franchisee Gate Restaurant Group “has sold or closed all of its San Francisco Burger King restaurants” and claim that Singh is “possibly attempting to get out of making payments.”
The non-profits also noted that the restaurant group failed to make the required health care payments for 23 employees, even though the group “entered into a settlement" with the city for over $800,000. The non-profits claimed only a small fraction of that amount has been paid.
"I worked at the Burger King on Fillmore for seven years where you couldn't take breaks and lunches, [and] you had to clock out and continue working without pay to get the job done," Adriana Rendon, a former employee said in the press release by the two non-profits. "I worked under conditions where one could not take sick leave from work without retaliation. I knew that this was unjust and I came together with my coworkers to organize ourselves and raise our voices to demand what they owed us and to stop these abuses."
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the reason the workers haven’t seen the money is because the restaurant group filed an appeal.
“Many corporations, especially fast food franchises, disregard labor laws and worker protections in the name of increasing profit,” said Kim Ouilette, an attorney at Legal Aid at Work. “Then, when workers are brave enough to speak up and enforce their rights, these corporations try to shift assets or even go out of business entirely to avoid liability, and then open up under a new name. It’s unclear exactly what Golden Gate Restaurant Group’s plans are, but the reality is that the State of California has issued a $1.9 million citation against them for labor violations and they will be held to account.”
The Chronicle said it reached out to Singh for further comment, but he didn't respond.
Related
