Sam Amico
An Ohio restaurant owner is in deep doo-doo after being accused of forcing servers to pay him back their wages and keep just $10 in tip money for themselves. And that was $10 per week, workers claim.
Videos by Rare
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, servers at Los Mariachis Mexican restaurant worked an average of 60 hours a week. Los Mariachis has multiple locations throughout Ohio, though it seems the one in question was located in Wauseon, located about 30 miles from Toledo.
Authorities said along with allowing servers to keep just $10 per week, restaurant owner Ruben Lopez failed to keep accurate payroll records. He also paid cooks for 40 hours when they worked 60, per a report from the DOL.
“No server should be forced to work for just tips and $10 per week, and no cook should be paid straight time for 20 hours of overtime,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Matthew Utley said, via WSAZ NewsChannel3.
“Payment of at least the minimum wage and overtime has been the law of the land for 85 years, and every person working in the U.S. has the right to be paid their full-earned wages.”
In the end, the investigation had uncovered nearly $246,000 in back wages for six of the servers and a dozen cooks.
“The $245,590 in back wages our investigation recovered will make a significant difference in the lives of 18 Los Mariachis’ workers and their families,” Utley added. “No server should be forced to work for just tips and $10 per week, and no cook should be paid straight time for 20 hours of overtime. Payment of at least the minimum wage and overtime has been the law of the land for 85 years, and every person working in the U.S. has the right to be paid their full-earned wages.
“We continue to work with local worker’s advocacy groups, consulates, employer groups and other community stakeholders to educate workers and employers about their rights. The failure to pay accurate wages is a problem across many industries,” Utley added. “Employers or workers with questions should reach out to Wage and Hour for information.”
