The Upper Crust Hits Bottom

I’ve eaten at The Upper Crust Pizzeria. In fact, I think their pizza is one the tops for taste and consistency. Whenever I’ve been to their restaurants I have been pleased with the service. They have among the largest slices of pizza (sold singularly) I’ve seen for a bit of a high price but I feel worth the money given the quality of the food. I’ve recommended their pizza to innumerable friends and acquaintances. More than once I know people have gone there based on my mentioning it and were equally as pleased.

Therefore it is with much dismay I learn of the management’s cheating employees of their due in salary based on paying overtime worked at regular hourly rates instead of time and a half. They were also not paying some of them minimum wage. The federal Department of Labor ordered them to pay the employees retroactively, which they have.

Now there are complaints saying that management after paying the back wages subsequently told the employees they had to return the checks or loose their jobs. In some cases, they took back the money by garnishing wages from employees You can read the sordid tale in full.

Now, I want to go a bit further in this discussion. The US Department of Labor obviously receives its money as part as the federal budget. What will their future budget be after the upcoming cuts are made? Who knows? More to the point, if these investigators are laid off or work shorter hours, who will be the watchdog for people like the immigrant workers at such places as the Upper Crust? Less investigators could mean other cases like this can’t be investigated either somewhat quickly or at all.

This kind of report also raises important questions as to what happens to undocumented illegal immigrants. How easily they can be exploited if they are afraid of contacting anyone from the government? Can you see how easy it is to be cynical as to why nothing is being done about illegal immigrants? Businesses large and small are making greater profits by paying them less in wages than a legal worker or US Citizen.

It is time to stop injustice. I will have to stop going to get my favorite pizza at The Upper Crust. I will let all know why I no longer go there. I think you should also.

It is also time for America to deal fairly with the people who work here illegally and do very important jobs that get paid very little.