This Lawsuit Against Domino’s Could Be Huge for Workers

[Cheese Sandwich]

 The New York attorney general’s wage-theft suit could pave the way for unionizing workplaces across different owner-operators.

It might become the biggest tip in the history of New York pizza: a lawsuit cracking down on one of the country’s fast-food giants, linking its chain-business model to three franchise bosses charged with collectively owing workers more than half a million dollars in stolen wages.

According to a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office last week, the Domino’s pizza empire and its franchise operators share the blame for years of cheating workers out of tipped wages and overtime pay. Both the parent company and the franchise operators are targeted as joint employers, charged with failing to adhere to wage-and-hour laws for workers. While wage theft is rampant throughout the restaurant business, the lawsuit alleges that the proprietary payroll software system Domino’s uses in its franchises is rigged to encourage cheating workers by design. A multi-year investigation has traced a digital paper trail from each pizza shop straight up to corporate headquarters.
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more: http://www.thenation.com/article/this-lawsuit-against-dominos-could-be-huge-for-workers/

[elleng]

1. Hope it works.

I like Schneiderman.

[Cheese Sandwich]

3. Yeah that seems like it would be a big win

I do hope that goes through.

[NBachers]

2. I worked for Domino's in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The company was a hellhole; the owners were assholes.

The owners habitually forced the workers to punch out early, and then keep working for free. They'd also count the money taken in by each delivery driver, and accuse them of being short when they weren't. The drivers would have the "shortages" deducted from their paychecks.

We had a group go to the Michigan State Employment Service more than once to complain. The State Employment Service backed up the owners, and said they weren't able to do anything about it.

Abusive shithead pigs

[Cheese Sandwich]

4. I've delivered for a few pizza places.

Actually my dominoes was pretty cool but that was about 25 years ago. Definitely seem some major wage theft at some of the other places though. A customer called and canceled an order while I was out delivering it. The manager charged me for the pizza