Restaurant workers in Dearborn, Mich., have launched a struggle against their employer, Andiamo restaurant, which has been depriving workers of minimum wage and overtime pay guaranteed by federal law.
Earlier in the month, workers delivered a demand letter requesting back pay for tipped employees being forced to perform untipped work, as well as rectification of payment below minimum wage, unjustified pay deductions and forced overtime. The restaurant has ignored workers’ written demands to repay $125,000 in lost wages.
Workers and their supporters staged a street protest Nov. 20 against wage theft. The workers plan to file a federal lawsuit against the restaurant to recover lost wages. Their lawsuit will also raise past discrimination in job assignments based on race, gender and national origin.
Under capitalism, greater profits must invariably come at the expense of workers, who are forced to take to the streets and organize to fight abuses such as poor working conditions, pay and benefits cuts, and layoffs.
