Former Waiters Are Suing Peter Luger Steakhouse
Four former waiters filed a federal suit last week claiming that, starting in the Spring of 2007, the restaurant failed to pay them for prep work before and after their shifts, forced them to share their tips with kitchen staff, and required them to work through breaks.
To be clear, this suit (for now) only applies to Peter Luger's Great Neck, Long Island location, not it's legendary Brooklyn flagship.
The waiters' attorneys allege both federal and state labor-law violations and seek class-action status for the lawsuit. Under New York State labor laws, the statute of limitations for violations is six years, compared with two to three years under federal law. "Our position is that Peter Luger knowingly disregarded the employees' rights and their obligations under federal and state law," said Douglas Lipsky, a partner of Bronson Lipsky in Manhattan.
It's also worth pointing out that lawsuits like this are pretty common in New York's restaurant scene. There's even an attorney that specializes in this work, "thorn in the industry's side" Maimon Kirschenbaum. He's sued even the likes of mega-chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
The point is, this lawsuit isn't weird. It could very likely be settled out of Court. We'll keep you posted either way.