***For Immediate Release*** July 28th, 2008
DOL To Announce Huge Back Wage Settlement
For Restaurant’s Workers
After Crackdown
Upscale Italian
Restaurant Agrees to Pay $136,633.73
In Back Wages to
Immigrant Workers
WHAT:
Press
conference with New York State Department of Labor Deputy Commissioner Terri
Gerstein to announce settlement for Pesce Pasta Restaurant workers. Rodrigo
Vázquez, worked 13 hours a day, six days a week in the kitchen of the popular
Trattoria Pesce Pasta, on the East Side, and
was never paid overtime. Tired of the exploitation, he left in July 2007.
Vázquez is a member of Make the Road New York, which organized a protest in
front of the restaurant in December. The Department of Labor became involved after they read
the Daily News coverage of the protest and reached out to Make the Road New
York about the case. Their investigation
showed that several other workers at the restaurant were also owed back
wages. On May 31, the restaurant’s owners agreed to pay
$136,633.73 in back wages, $23,000 of which will go to Vázquez. The employer has paid $60,000 to date.
WHEN: 11:30
AM, Monday July 28th, 2008
WHERE: 1079 1st Ave at 59th St.
WHO: Terri
Gerstein, New York State Department of Labor,
Deputy Commissioner for Wage and Immigrant Services
Rodrigo Vasquez, former Pesce Pasta
employee
Make the Road New York
**** PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
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