Nate and Als is probably the most famous deli in the entire world and is famous for being the Jewish Deli to the Stars and Movie Industrie, however they apparently do not know how to read their Union Contract for their employees, specifically the pay rate aimed at their waitresses.
While I was employed there for the last 3 1/2 yrs I was getting paid $6.30 per hour according to their old Union Contract which is close to 4 yrs old. When the new increase in pay was enacted by the state of California, they did not renegociate the old contract and continued to pay "BELOW" the minimum wage for the state of California which is $6.75 therefor they owe every waitress past and current $.45 for every hour they worked since the increase, which means they also have to go back and recompute all vacation pay, holiday pay and overtime.
Also according to the California Labor Code, each employee who is owed corrected payroll is also entitled to Penality Paid Waiting for 30 Days at the rate of $6.75 per day.
Also the waitresses and busboys unlike all the other employees of deli counter, catering and delivery, etc are elegible for 1 hour of pay for every day they worked for not being given a 10 min break/rest period. Which as for the waitresses can add up to alot of money. Running out for a quick cigerette or using the restroom does not constitute a 10 min break as mandated by the state of California. This rate as for example would be for the entire time they have been employed there as with the waitresses would be for $6.75 which equals 1 hour per day, for me at that rate is close to $3,000 alone and approx. $2600.00 at $.45 per hour and corrected overtime, holiday and vacation pay and aprox. $202.00 for penality paid waiting, so for me it is approx close to $6000.00, and I am only one server they need to pay, for servers alone they owe over $100.000.00 which is alot of money.
Also for all that money they owe the government taxes on all that payroll they negated to pay, who knows maybe it was their way to get out of paying those taxes.
Its amazing, these people who run this restaurant, David Mndelson and his brother Mark Mendelson are so quick to remind us to report the correct amount for tips, yet they can't pay us the correct amount they owe us that we earned.
Also they should be held accountable for all the employees who now have to recompute and ammend all their state and federal taxes that have been previously filed.
Also, to work somewhere cause you need your job and INSURANCE, as in my situation as I have Cancer and to be Bullied by one Manager in particular by the name of J.K. or legally known as Joseph Kornblum is barbaric. He constantly threatens you with write-ups, dismissal, and suspensions at all times to almost anyone he can and the owners allow it as he is their glorifiied babysitter when they don't feel like being there and we have no choice but to take it from all the threats to all the verbal haressment, and insults he projects at you. He also goes around talking from one employee to the other about situations regarding other employees that are not the business of the other employees that should remain inner office and between management/owners and the employee involved.
If one remains smart they will not go to work there, I have found that since I left there I am surviving, and physically and emotionally I am much better off and have returned to feeling normal, and I am no longer a nervious wreck as i was for the 3 1/2 yrs I was employeed there.
Cher
van nuys, California
U.S.A.