The Justice Will Be Served! Campaign Sponsored by:
Chinese Staff & Workers Association o National Mobilization
Against Sweatshops o 318 Restaurant Workers Union
Endorsed by: Community Free Democrats, Congregation B'nai
Jeshurun, Industrial Union Council, Industrial Workers of the
World, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, NYS Senator
Eric Schneiderman, NYS Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, NYC Councilmember
Gale Brewer, New York Unemployment Project, Park River Democrats,
Passaic County CLC
JWBS! New Jersey Restaurant Campaign
In the past three years, the JWBS! New Jersey Restaurant Workers
Campaign has made headways winning several legal victories for
buffet restaurant workers who are standing up against labor law
violations. Unfortunately, most NJ restaurants continue to violate
the labor law. In most buffet restaurants, owners do not pay workers
any wages and even force workers to pay kickbacks and fines. NJ
workers are now calling for stronger labor law enforcement and
for systematic changes in the restaurant industry.
New Jersey Restaurant Industry (Buffets)
No. of Buffet Restaurants: 4,000
Average Amount Monthly Revenue Earned $300,000
Average No. of Workers in Each Buffet Restaurant: 30
Average Hourly Wages for Waiters $0
In buffet restaurants all over New Jersey, owners do not pay
waiters a single cent in wages, forcing workers to live off their
tips. Most owners force waiters to pay in order to work. Waiters
have to pay daily kickbacks and arbitrary fines if they do not
perform extra duties correctly. For $0 per hour, waiters mop the
floors, wash the dishes, windows, tables, and walls. Even worse,
workers are regularly subjected to poor housing conditions, sexual
harassment, and racism.
JWBS NJ Restaurant Campaign Accomplishments
March 2004 Two women won a settlement for back wages and
sexual discrimination against King Chef Buffet restaurant in Wayne,
NJ. These women were threatened and fired after protesting against
$0 per hour pay and 80-hour workweeks. Moreover, they had to pay
$18 a day to keep their jobs. They discriminated against women
and Fuzhounese workers by calling them "despicable,"
"stupid," and "pigs" and by firing these workers
based on gender and ethnicity. King Chef owners forced workers
to live in unsafe housing, sometimes without electricity.
May 2006 Working with the ACLU, two women won a settlement
for back wages and sexual harassment against Rainbow Buffet restaurant
in Fairview, NJ. These women worked 60+ hours and made far below
minimum wage. Rainbow Buffet management also systematically stole
tips from the workers. When co-workers intentionally hit, threatened,
and touched these women against their will, the management failed
to respond to these acts.
Feb 2007 The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued
a decision against Majestic Buffet restaurant in Wayne, NJ for
violating labor laws. Owners forced waiters to work more than
70 hours a week without paying them a single cent in wages, and
even extorted kickbacks of $15-20 per day from them. In December
2005 when workers spoke out against these practices, the owners
retaliated and discharged them. The restaurant has failed to comply
with this decision. Workers are rallying around the weekly pickets
at Majestic Buffet to reinstate these workers and improve conditions
there.
