María Martínez joined dozens of activists and restaurant workers who, like her son, were fired when the new owner of what had been the beloved Casellula establishment in Hells Kitchen decided not to continue the previous owner’s policy of distributing tips equally among all employees, including dishwashers, cooks, and cleaning staff.
“It is abhorrent that the new administration has decided to close the restaurant and lay off all of these workers instead of maintaining the old pay structure,” said Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal.
The assemblywoman also posted a message on social networks about the workers’ protest.
“If the owners of Casellula Wine Bar can’t handle the 🔥, they should get out of the kitchen.
“I stood with @OneFairWageNY + @OurRevolution in support of the dedicated Casellula employees in HK who were fired after refusing to work for sub-minimum wages.
“Subminimum wages don’t have 🏠 in #NYS,” the message read.
If the owners of Casellula Wine Bar can’t handle the 🔥, they should get out of the kitchen.
I stood w/ @OneFairWageNY + @OurRevolution in support of devoted Casellula employees in HK who were fired after refusing to work for subminimum wages.
Submin wages have no 🏠 in #NYS pic.twitter.com/zsoZStUYj3
— Linda B. Rosenthal “the #OriginalRosenthal” (@LindaBRosenthal) February 22, 2023
Senator Brad Hoylman indicated that doing so carries civil liability.
The former workers are owed more than $100,000 in unpaid wages, said Kristen Carbone, a former employee of the restaurant, who explained that paying more than minimum wage and sharing tips equally, as well as being fair, helped maintain harmony in work place.
“The system helped us all,” Carbone added.
Rakesh Chandiramani, founder of Vin Sur Vingt, which took over the business, said in a statement:
“We are working to cancel the purchase and we have no intention of opening any business in the place that Casellula occupied in the future. We stand in solidarity with the employees who were fired by their employer, but we are not responsible for their firing nor have we ever been their employer.”
Silvia Gastón and the organization known by the name of her proposal, One Fair Wage, assure that they will not stop with the injustice committed in this place.
More than 500 restaurants in the five boroughs have voluntarily adopted the fair pay policy.
Senator Hoylman assured that One Fair Wage will be trying to be promoted as part of the state budget.
