NORTHAMPTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has fined four area restaurants nearly $10,000 for labor law violations in recent months as part of an investigation launched last year.
Two restaurants, Oriental Flavor in Amherst and Oriental Taste in Northampton, were cited on Monday, while the others — Sakura Buffet in Northampton and Dynasty Gourmet in Easthampton — were cited earlier this summer. The latter two have paid the imposed fines, while the former two have 10 days to appeal or otherwise must pay them within 21 days of issue.
A September 2016 investigative series, “Under the Table,” identified the four restaurants as among at least seven Asian eateries that appeared to be underpaying immigrant employees, often hired via job agencies in New York City’s Chinatown.
Restaurant owners interviewed at the time defended their pay practices, touting the value of business-provided worker housing that ranged from spacious to slouching. But officials decried the practice, asserting no worker benefit absolves an employer of paying workers what they are legally due.
“Too often restaurant industry workers have their wages stolen by employers. This wage theft is an economic hardship for families in Massachusetts,” Healey said this week in a statement. “After allegations of wage and hour violations were brought to our attention, our office investigated several restaurants and ultimately issued a number of citations. No worker should be a victim of unfair and exploitative practices and we want all workers to know they should come forward if they have complaints or questions about their rights.”
Cheng Hui Zheng, owner of Oriental Flavor and Oriental Taste, was hit with $5,189 in fines between the two restaurants for failure to pay minimum wage, failure to make timely payment of wages, failure to keep true and accurate payroll records and violations of the Earned Sick Time Law, according to the AG’s office.
Despite the citation, Zheng said Thursday the Boston officials didn’t find a “very big problem.”
“We always do good with our employees,” he said.
He said most restaurants, like him, weren’t following laws around earned sick time. He said he reported lower wages for his workers than they actually made because they wanted to be paid in cash.
“I treat them better than any other restaurant,” he said, adding the whole ordeal weighs heavily on him. “It’s hurting me.”
Sanctions levied against Zheng included $939 in restitution to be paid to six employees for lost wages.
The AG cited Sakura Buffet $2,600 in June for employment of a minor under 14, failure to keep true and accurate payroll records, failure to furnish a suitable pay stub and violation of the Earned Sick Time Law, according to the AG’s office.
Sakura owner Limei Chen said last year she and her husband ran the business as they were taught from working in restaurants for decades. On Thursday she said that while it was unpleasant to pay the fine, the restaurant is better for it.
“At least I learned something,” she said, adding officials took time to educate her about the laws. “They told me lots of information about it all.”
Dynasty Gourmet’s citations totaling $2,000 came for failure to furnish records for inspection, failure to furnish a suitable pay stub and violation of the Earned Sick Time Law. An owner at the restaurant declined to comment on Thursday.
Officials said it’s important to hold employers accountable to labor laws — not just for the sake of workers, but for the sake of the economy.
“We seek to level the playing field for law-abiding employers,” Carlos Matos, director of the Boston district office of the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, said last year. “Say you have several restaurants on a street. The employer who underpays his employees is hurting not only them, he’s also undercutting the restaurant that is doing the correct thing and paying its employees their legally required wages.”
Workers who feel they’ve been illegally treated should call the Fair Labor Division hotline at 617-727-3465, or file a complaint online at mass.gov/ago, Healey’s office said.
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.