Saturday, March 13, 2010

Flushing restaurant workers paid slave wages

From the Daily News:

A Flushing restaurant is in the crosshairs of federal regulators for allegedly firing two waitresses who spoke out about being overworked and underpaid.

The National Labor Relations Board has filed a charge of unfair labor practice against owners of Guang Zhou Restaurant for allegedly discriminating against Li Rong Gao and Xiao Hong Zheng, who said they lost their jobs after attempting to join a union last year.

"I'm not scared to stand up," said Gao, who protested Monday with about 20 supporters in front of the eatery, on 37th Ave.

Gao, 29, and Zheng, 33, said their employer stole their tips and paid them just $400 a month.

"Every day, we worked more than 12 hours, but they didn't pay us overtime," Gao said, adding that they worked six days a week.

The protesters, made up of fellow restaurant employees, nail salon workers and livery cab drivers, chanted "No pay, No way!" and flashed signs that demanded the waitresses be rehired.

"These practices are rampant in Flushing," said Josephine Lee, campaign coordinator for Justice Will Be Served, a group that helps service workers organize against unfair labor practices. "It is daring for two women to come out in the face of all of this."

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

is" justice will be served" a link to the S.E.I.U.,lead by A.Stern ,Obama's pal at the White House?

see:commieblasters.com and scroll to andy stern or s.e.i.u.

he made the health care deal to not tax the union "cadillac health policy",while screwing the rest of the U.S. citizens.

Lino said...

""Every day, we worked more than 12 hours, but they didn't pay us overtime," Gao said, adding that they worked six days a week."

This is typical of immigrant owned shops. ALL of the Korean owned fruit and veg stores have 12hr-6 or 7 day shifts.

The Koreans and Chinese are particularly indifferent to those not of the family. Mexicans get the lousy shifts and I have stolen 4-5 of them from places in my area for our restaurants.

"Doubles" are not uncommon in restaurants but as a rule we never allow more than 2 per week. When you push people too much they get sloppy and you end up with accidents and med bills.

Problem is that a lot of young workers want to earn as much as they can to support their families back home (or here) and won't complain or take a more humane job.

Unfortunately nothing will ever change here.

panzer65 said...

Can you please print those signs in English...or are they upside down?

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately nothing will ever change here.

It can change - no more illegals and no more problem!

Anonymous said...

I refuse to feel sorry for people who are here illegally. Their first act in this country was to break the law. I realize that nowhere in the article is their status mentioned, but most of the restaurant workers in Flushing Chinatown Restaurants ARE illegal.

Anonymous said...

Flushing used to be a nice place. Now it's a disgusting cesspool. Such a shame.

Anonymous said...

"Mexicans get the lousy shifts and I have stolen 4-5 of them from places in my area for our restaurants.

Doubles are not uncommon in restaurants but as a rule we never allow more than 2 per week"

=====================================

You filthy grease ball Italian nigger shit. Lino YOU'RE the reason why these people are coming here. You employ and which in turn enables them to live here. Word of mouth brings more workers and the cycle never ends.

I NEVER eat in ANY restaurant that hires illegals. ESPECIALLY those Italian/pizza restaurants and gyro/Greek ones.

Extra Cheese pizza on Northern Boulevard and 147th street ONLY hires young teens from the COMMUNITY who are LEGAL. I'll support that business ANYDAY.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately nothing will ever change here.

It can change - no more illegals and no more problem!

Notice the signs are in Chinese, targeting Chinese owners to scare the owner via the unwanted attention to them - it's bold as these folks know they them-selfs are vulnerable deportation.

The Chinese owners do not pay payroll and SS taxes and evade taxes on these largely cash businesses.

The illegal works are held hostage because of their status and are now at their breaking point and willing to force the hand of these owners who fear this attention.

The best way to combat this issue is to not buy or go to this businesses that hire illegals in the first place. Or report the owner to the INS and IRS.

cherokeesista said...

I know that place, my sister and niece were visiting and went there to eat:( Unfortunately they were treated horribly , they were told they would have to pay first before even getting their food which makes no sense to me. I believe it's because my sister is half black :( She was infuriated that they were treated like that, I told her it's a common thing here in Flushing:(

Anonymous said...

tip, tip?

Deke DaSilva said...

This is typical of immigrant owned shops. ALL of the Korean owned fruit and veg stores have 12hr-6 or 7 day shifts....The Koreans and Chinese are particularly indifferent to those not of the family.

And yet who do the white liberal yahoos complain about the most?

Wal-Mart! Starbuck's! Whole Foods!

Funny, I don't recall ever seeing any white liberal types complaining about immigrant run bodegas and restaurants ripping off their employees......I guess they only care if "whitey" is involved, and if it's a big corporation with deep pockets.

linda said...

omg! flushing main street is so nasty. i attend class down there and it's dirty. can someone explain to me how a veggie store smells of fish? someone needs to go down there and enforce the laws. oh and the signs need to be in ENGLISH only, small print for the Asians.

Anonymous said...

Where are the Feds? Don't we have a Department of Immigration and Deportation? Why aren't our laws being enforced? Deport all of them and the problems will disappear. Our country has no money and is in debt. Start fining companies and corporations that employ illegal aliens. These employers are aiding and abetting these criminals. They are the ones that are paying them next to nothing and reaping huge profits. Until they are fined and hit in the pocket, the situation will never change. Americans are out of work, but no one gives a shit. The politicians are too busy helping the illegals get a hand up and a hand out. Let Mexico deal with it's own mess and China too. Why must the US always be the one to clean up everyone's mess?

Anonymous said...

hey they contributed to JOhn LIu's campaig so he approves such sweat shop practices. JOhn Liu is now comptroller thanks to you fucking idiots.

Anonymous said...

yes, where is immigration? Mayor Bloomberg Bone Cancer 2010. Join the Movement

John from Conn said...

Lino,
How do you and your family sleep at night???
Living parasitically on obscene profits off the backs of the working man all these years...

When "My Group" comes to picket in front of your restaurant...this will be our list of demands...
1) All prices on the menu must be reduced to "fair" communal prices.
2) You must never "Double Dip" on a customers Credit Card.
3) You must immediately stop avoiding your patriotic duty of paying taxes by hiding cash at night and by compensating the Kitchen staff "under the table".
4) You must immediately stop extorting immigrants and start checking for green cards and always verify their citizenship status. You must make sure all your employees comply with current US Immigration law.
5) We want a government regulator on site at all times to verify YOUR MENU:
- We need to make sure when you sell by the ounce, the customer is getting "all" they pay for.
- We need to make sure that cheap Pork is not being sold as expensive Veal.
- We need to make sure CrayFish is NOT being sold as Lobster.
- We need to make sure MonkFish is not being sold as "Lazy Man's Lobster".
- We need to make sure that when you state Angus beef..It is really Angus Beef.
- We need to make sure that Halibut sprinkled with Paprika is Not being sold as Red Snapper...
- We need to make sure that the crab cake meat is not imitation...

If you follow these simple demands we will leave you alone to freely conduct your business!

Anonymous said...

I refuse to feel sorry for people who are here illegally. Their first act in this country was to break the law. AND POST THEIR FLAGS IN EVERY SINGLE STORE. DOMINICAN AND MEXICAN FLAGS ARE ALL OVER ROOSEVELT AVE. This is America, US Flag helloooooooo

Anonymous said...

Sorry, No Sympathy from me. These criminals shouldn't be here in the first place. Can you imagine the nerve of these people? They break our laws, they don't belong here, they take jobs that our teenagers could have and then they demand to be represented because they aren't being paid what they think they should be. Can you believe this? They need to go home and earn their fair wages there.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the last Anonymous - teenagers can't even get jobs anymore to help pay for their college education, so then they are forced to take out horrible student loans. The whole system is meant to bring everyone down. Every law and illegal act allowed feeds into the next.

Illegals also take jobs from people on welfare who want out and on and on it goes.

Another thing, illegals aren't the only ones who get screwed in restaurant work = many restaurant owners screw their employees, and the employees don't care = the waitresse - because they make tips.

Babs said...

"The whole system is meant to bring everyone down. Every law and illegal act allowed feeds into the next."

I like what you are saying here.

I would like also to add that WE, as Americans, MUST hire EVERYONE regardless of race, religion, etc. - that is the LAW. These people are hiring ONLY their OWN. They are undemocratic and they live amongst those that fought for democracy, equality and decency.

Anonymous said...

"I NEVER eat in ANY restaurant that hires illegals. ESPECIALLY those Italian/pizza restaurants and gyro/Greek ones."

You better eat at home. Also certain supermarkets also hire illegals. So why don't you boycott them too.. sooner or later you'll be farming and eat vegetables, you fucking hypocrite infantile imbecile.

Anonymous said...

Leave "Lino" alone. He can't help his ignorance...being a Siciliano goombah mafioso.

I know this dude...but will honor the anonymity of Queens Crap and not reveal who he is.

Anonymous said...

It's amazing how the Chinese are the worst offenders of enslaving their own people. First they bring them here for a 40-50K fee, they work this off over a period of 15 years in some dirty restaurant. In the interim they must pay for their room and board at the Boss's SRO with 25-30 other slaves that sleep in shifts. They cannot escape or go elsewhere because they fear if they do not pay off their debt, their families back home will get whacked. Is this our fault that they are here - of course not and we must go after those who bring these slaves here illegally and unfortunately the slaves must be sent home.

cherokeesista said...

Anonymous said...
tip, tip?

Saturday, March 13, 2010

What are you trying to say? BLack people don't tip!!! Screw you your an ASSHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!

cherokeesista said...

Has anyone ever been to The Harvest Buffet in Little Neck? They Charged my then 9yr old as an adult because of his height needless to say we don't go there anymore,I never in my life heard of paying extra because the child is tall:(

Lino said...

" Anonymous said...
Leave "Lino" alone. He can't help his ignorance...being a Siciliano goombah mafioso."

"I know this dude...but will honor the anonymity of Queens Crap and not reveal who he is"

So tell me asshole, who am I?

BTW: "Lino" is a Spanish name, I was was born in Mexico City although I am WASP and Anglo.

Anonymous said...

Where are the Feds? Don't we have a Department of Immigration and Deportation? Why aren't our laws being enforced? Deport all of them and the problems will disappear. Our country has no money and is in debt. Start fining companies and corporations that employ illegal aliens. These employers are aiding and abetting these criminals.

Enforce the law, not ignore the law nor cater to those who break the law and are not legal residents, period.

panzer65 said...

Better pay first too...they dont trust you or anyone to skip out on the bill...

Anonymous said...

You better eat at home. Also certain supermarkets also hire illegals. So why don't you boycott them too.. sooner or later you'll be farming and eat vegetables, you fucking hypocrite infantile imbecile.

======================================

I love eating at home or getting a hot dog from the "AMERICAN EMBASSY" Hot dog stand on Main st and 38th Avenue runned by that greek guy.
Good ol Key Food on Bowne Street barely has any illegals working there. If they do hire illegals most of them are well-to-do and WANT TO BE AMERICANIZED. The key food that used be in on 156th and Northern was full fledged American but now it's a Hanareum (misspelling, I don't give a shit!).


Not like that cock sucking terrorist Lino and his band of theiving illegals.

Fuck Immigrants. Make their life hell. Give them bad directions (preferably in the opposite direction). Tell them you only speak English. etc....

Steve Rubell said...

"Lino" is a Spanish name, I was was born in Mexico City although I am WASP and Anglo.

Yes, in Spanish it means "coke fiend".

Lino said...

"Steve Rubell said...
Yes, in Spanish it means "coke fiend"."

Well congratulations on taking the handle of a tax cheat and drug impresario.

You do your borough proud.

John from Conn said...

Actually, now that "Our Group" has gotten this new information, we will now demand to see Lino's "Paper's" as well...

Crapper, what steps are being taken to make sure illegals are not posting on this Blog??

Lino said...

"John from Conn said...
Actually, now that "Our Group" has gotten this new information, we will now demand to see Lino's "Paper's" as well..."

HA! The only paper you see are the ones you were trained on. Stupid mutt.

Anonymous said...

I didn't see anywhere in the article where it said the workers are "illegal".

There are only two sides here - the restaurant owners side and the restaurant workers side. What the restaurant owners is doing is illegal - they must pay overtime. The only "illegals" mentioned in the article are the restaurant owners who are breaking the law, thus becoming "illegals". Yet some people in this thread are saying the "illegals" are the workers, with no proof whatsoever.

As I said, there are only two sides here - the lawbreaking owners and the workers. If you want to see Flushing become more of a dump than it is already becoming, then just condone the practices these business owners are employing. The cess pit will just get bigger.

This is not China. People working over eight hours get overtime. An attack on overtime anywhere on the US is an attack on overtime for everyone. I support the restaurant workers 100%.

John from Conn said...

cherokeesista said...
John from Conn said...

Lino,
How do you and your family sleep at night???
Living parasitically on obscene profits off the backs of the working man all these years...

SPEAK THE TRUTH BROTHER:) ROFLMAO!!!!



Thank you Sista...
I always speak the TRUTH.
Now let's go picket that hypo-crite scum LINO and help the plight of the proletariat!
While we are there...we will try some of his Halibut w/ Paprika...opps I mean "Red Snapper" special...

Give me an AMEN!

cherokeesista said...

AMEN!!!! :)