Recently, the United States District Court for the Western District of New York denied Defendant Crab Addison, Inc.’s (“Crab Addison”) motion to dismiss a Plaintiff class’s minimum-wage claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) alleging that Defendants paid the Plaintiff class less than the full required minimum wage pursuant to a “tip credit”, while having them spend a significant amount of time performing non-tipped duties. In its prior decision, the Court granted Defendant’s motion to dismiss the FLSA minimum-wage ...
Continue Reading →8 OCT
In a recent decision, on October 1, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed the District Court of Puerto Rico’s decision granting summary judgment for the Secretary of the Department of Labor (“DOL”), against Lorraine Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Piccolo E Posto, Lorraine Lago, and Pedro Gonzalez (collectively, “Defendants”), and denied Defendants motion to amend or alter that judgment. Perez v. Lorraine Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a Piccolo E Posto, et al., Nos. 13-1685 (1st Cir., Oct. 1, ...
Continue Reading →23 SEP
On August 11, 2014, a former delivery driver filed a lawsuit in NY Federal Court against Pizza Hut, his former employer, seeking to recover for unpaid gratuities, overtime pay, liquidated damages, and attorneys’ fees and costs. The delivery driver is claiming that he is entitled to the $2.75 “Delivery Fee” that Pizza Hut charged its customers for deliveries. He is alleging that this “Delivery Fee” was believed to be a service charge paid to the delivery driver by the customers; ...
Continue Reading →25 AUG
Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP filed a class action lawsuit on August 22, 2014, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Jacques Restaurant Group on behalf of all line cooks, food preparers, dishwashers, servers, bussers, runners, bartenders, and cooks (“Restaurant Workers”) who work or have worked at Jacques Brasserie located at 204 East 85th Street, New York, New York, Jacques 1534 located at 20 Prince Street, New York, New York, or The Pitch & ...
Continue Reading →25 AUG
On August 22, 2014, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the corporate entities doing business as the Café Español restaurants located at 78 Carmine Street and 172 Bleecker Street in New York (collectively, “Café Español”). The lawsuit alleges that despite working over 40 hours per week, cooks, food preparers, dishwashers, and kitchen helpers are only paid a fixed weekly salary and not time ...
Continue Reading →14 JUL
In a case of first impression in the Third Circuit, a Middle District of Pennsylvania Court held that expediters at the Red Robin restaurant chain did not fall within the definition of “tipped employees” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Ford v. Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group, Inc., No. 14-cv-227. The case revolves around the interpretation of 29 U.S.C. § 203(m), which allows “the pooling of tips among employees who customarily and regularly receive tips.” Defendant Red Robin instituted a ...
Continue Reading →14 JUL
On October 2, 2013, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP filed a lawsuit alleging that Defendants Moonstruck Diners failed to pay non-exempt workers the proper minimum wage rate, overtime pay and spread-of-hours pay as required under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the New York Labor Law.
On July 2, 2014 the Court granted Plaintiff’s Motion for an Order Granting Class Certification, Court Authorization and Expedited Discovery pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 216(b) and denied Defendants’ Cross-Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings ...
Continue Reading →12 JUN