Latino Workers Sue Remi Restaurant for Wage Theft
Remi owners have restaurants around the world, but force workers
to work 70-100 hours/week, cheat them of overtime pay and charge
them illegal fees
On Tuesday, June 16 Latino restaurant workers at Remi, an expensive
Italian restaurant in midtown Manhattan (located at 145 W.
53rd St), announced a federal lawsuit against Remi owners
Stefano Fritella, Pier Mario Delrosso, and Roberto Delledonne
for thousands of hours of unpaid overtime, violation of minimum
wage laws, and illegal charges to the workers. The workers, some
of whom worked at Remi for as many as 16 years, were often made
to work double-shifts, six or seven days a week, working from
70-100 hours/week. Yet the restaurant falsified their records
and frequently reported on workers’ paystubs that they worked
only 40 hours per week. In addition, Remi would illegally charge
workers fees to receive their tips and for the credit card transaction
fees of the restaurant’s customers. Several of the workers
are suffering from health problems as a result of their grueling
duties and hours.
Remi Restaurant is known for its Italian cuisine and for its
distinctive interior, designed by popular restaurant designer
Adam Tihany. Remi owner Stefano Fritella is also partner and Chief
Operating Officer in Bice Group, a global restaurant group with
over 40 restaurants all over the world, including restaurants
in Milan, Madrid, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv, and Bice Restaurant
in New York City. Remi owner Roberto Delledonne is also Chief
Financial Operator of Bice USA.
The Remi workers were joined on June 16 at a press conference
by other service workers from nail salons, delis, and restaurants
across midtown and upper Manhattan, to demand that Remi Restaurant
pay the workers their robbed wages and to end their abusive practices.
