Mario Batali's Del Posto Restaurant: Four-Star Food and Exploited Workers

by Taylor Leake · 2011-04-29 08:25:00 UTC
Topics:

Mario Batali, the celebrity chef whose orange crocs grace the likes of Iron Chef America, owns a slew of restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. One of those restaurants, Del Posto — a super swanky, high-end Italian joint — recently got an impressive four-star rating from the New York Times.

Despite the high marks, workers at Del Posto aren't happy. A group of 40 Del Posto staffers say they have faced wage theft, discrimination, abuse, and retaliation for trying to organize a group that might be able to address these issues. That's why the Restaurant Opportunity Center (ROC) of New York, an advocacy group dedicated to winning improved conditions for restaurant workers, filed suit against Del Posto and is asking for your help in the fight for respect and fair treatment.

The lawsuit alleges that Del Posto uses a point system to distribute tips based on position in the staff, with "captains." the highest ranked waiters, receiving the most, followed by bartenders, then front waiters, and expediters. Stockers get just one-third of what captains get. The lawsuit also claims that wait staff who worked banquets at Del Posto were not paid the tips they earned, getting a flat fee instead. ROC says they had been in talks with Del Posto to address these issues and others for nearly six months before they finally filed the lawsuit.

Del Posto has made great efforts, not just in pleasing New York Times food critics, but in serving sustainable and environmentally friendly food as well. But as Jeff Mansfield, an organizer with ROC New York, explained, "If workers who prepare and serve our food aren't treated well, then it's not sustainable, and it's not just."

With such accolades and critical acclaim, Del Posto should be treating its workers well. It should be the example restaurant staff point to when talking about the kind of place they want to work. Instead, Del Posto has a reputation for short-changing and mistreating its workers. Tell Del Posto that you support its workers and want to see a quick and fair resolution that leads to a better workplace. Sign ROC's petition, and write to Mario Batali and his partners today.

Photo Credit: Andrew Stawarz via Flickr

Taylor Leake is a foodie and activist. He's previously worked for Food and Water Watch and Wake Up Walmart.

RELATED PETITION

Tell Mario Batali: We Support the Del Posto Workers!
SIGN PETITION
613 People
PREVIOUS STORY:
Progress! Jamie Oliver Pushes Los Angeles Schools to Drop Sweetened Milks
NEXT STORY:
Join the Social Media Day of Action to Rid Girl Scout Cookies of Forest-Destroying Palm Oil

COMMENTS (1)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.