Hundreds of US Senate cafeteria workers were wrongfully denied over $1 million in wages, according to a new federal investigation.
The US Department of Labor said Friday that the company Restaurant Associates and a subcontractor had stiffed 674 employees by classifying them in lower-wage categories, while also requiring them to work before the scheduled start time without proper pay or overtime.
“Workers in the restaurant industry are among the lowest-paid workers in our economy,” said the Labor Department’s David Weil. “Most struggle to afford life’s basic expenses and pay their bills; they shouldn’t have to deal with paychecks that don’t accurately reflect their hard work and the wages to which they are legally entitled.”
Investigators said Restaurant Associates violated the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Its subcontractor, Personnel Plus, flouted just the former.
The Labor Department said it is considering debarring the companies from future federal government contracts.