A California restaurant, Taqueria Garibaldi, has been ordered to compensate its workers with $140,000. This comes after federal investigators discovered that the restaurant’s owner had hired a fake priest to force employees to confess their “workplace sins.” Taqueria Garibaldi had to face the consequences of its actions. Photo courtesy of Taqueria Garibaldi.
June 21 (UPI) — Taqueria Garibaldi, a renowned restaurant in California, has been mandated to pay $140,000 to its workers. This decision follows an investigation by the Department of Labor, which revealed that the owner had employed a fake priest to intimidate employees into confessing their “workplace sins.”
The Department of Labor’s investigators found that the owner of Taqueria Garibaldi in Sacramento used the deceptive tactic of a fake priest to coerce employees into admitting if they had engaged in activities like theft or tardiness, which were deemed harmful to the restaurant’s owner, Che Garibaldi. The owner claimed that this approach would help the employees cleanse themselves of their perceived wrongdoings.
“During testimony, an employee revealed that Taqueria Garibaldi offered the services of a supposed priest to hear confessions related to workplace misconduct, while other employees reported that a manager falsely insinuated that the department’s investigation could lead to immigration issues,” stated Mark Pilotin, the Regional Solicitor of Labor.
The investigators also discovered that the restaurant had violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay workers overtime for hours exceeding 40 per week. Additionally, managers were illegally receiving bonuses from the employee tip pool. Some employees experienced adverse immigration consequences for cooperating with the investigation, including one who was terminated for lodging a complaint with the department.
“This employer’s despicable attempts to retaliate against employees were aimed at silencing them, obstructing the investigation, and preventing the recovery of unpaid wages,” Pilotin commented on the matter.
Che Garibaldi, the owner of Taqueria Garibaldi restaurants in Sacramento and Roseville, along with three other owners, reached a consent judgment last month. As part of this agreement, they are required to pay $140,000 in unpaid wages and damages to 35 employees. The restaurant has also been ordered to pay $5,000 in civil penalties.
According to the terms of the agreement, Taqueria Garibaldi is prohibited from taking any form of action against employees who assert their rights. The restaurant is not allowed to “terminate, threaten, or discriminate against any employee believed to have spoken with investigators.”
“The U.S. Department of Labor and its Solicitor’s Office will not tolerate workplace retaliation and will promptly demonstrate that immigration status has no impact on workers’ rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” added Pilotin.
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