Saw this on Gothamist... In New York, a group of restaurant workers are suing their former employer for discrimination and retaliation, claiming they were forced, among other things, to take meal breaks in bathroom stalls. Gross: Chinese kitchen workers sue restaurant for discrimination.Thirteen employees who were fired from the kitchen staff at Le Colonial Restaurant filed a lawsuit last week in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, claiming they were subjected to a number of harsh conditions, including standing for ten hours a day in excessive heat:
They were not allowed into air-conditioned areas during their breaks, and were restricted to one bathroom, the lawsuit said. If they wanted a second meal break, they had to eat in the bathroom stall, the suit said. A 61-year-old worker with a back injury was forced to stand, and a cook was told that his food was "cooked for animals," according to the complaint.Stand up and speak out, restaurant workers! According to AALDEF, restaurant workers are often treated like shit because, "the employer thinks that they won't fight back because of language and maybe even [immigration] status issues." Not quite the case here. According to their lawyer, the workers also plan to file a federal lawsuit for wage violations. Take that, Le Colonial!
After repeated pleas to their employer, they were fired Aug. 3, said their attorney, Brian Shenker of Xue & Associates.