According to the New York Daily News, “A former dishwasher for Patsy’s Pizza is making a federal case out of not getting a big enough slice of the pie.”
“In a suit filed in Manhattan Federal Court Tuesday, Rafael Bernitt said working conditions at Patsy’s E. 60th St. Manhattan parlor were ‘nothing short of a modern day indentured servitude.’ He claimed he worked 10 hours a day, six days a week, next to a coal-burning stoves with only two 15-minute breaks a day. He was paid just $330 to $350 a week, a clear violation of minimum wage laws, the suit charges. On top of that, Bernitt said the dishwashing crew did not get overtime, sick time, vacation days, medical benefits, tips, workman’s compensation or unemployment insurance. Then, he was fired in January. Arista Associates, which owns six Patsy’s restaurants, three Dean’s restaurants and three Angelo’s pizzerias, did not immediately return a call for comment.”
