Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Workers at San Anselmo say Steven Star restaurants refuse to recognize their union
Loading...
Summary
In public comment, cooks at San Anselmo said they won a union nearly a year ago but that restaurants owned by Steven Star have refused to recognize it; workers described legal action, housing impacts and months of picketing in multiple cities.
Ana Reyes, a cook at San Anselmo, said the restaurant and other establishments owned by Steven Star in Washington, D.C., have refused to recognize a union she says workers won nearly a year ago.
"Hace casi un año atrás, mis compañeros y yo ganamos nuestra unión," Reyes said, adding that management has not accepted the outcome. She said Spanish-speaking cooks were pressured to learn English and that she helped organize the union in response to what she described as disrespect in the kitchen.
The comment placed the dispute amid an ongoing legal fight: "Ahora el gobierno está acusando a [la empresa] de violar la ley laboral federal, pero [la empresa] eligió continuar la batalla legal," Reyes said, describing government action against the employer while litigation continues. The transcript variably renders the company's name and related words; speakers also referenced restaurants owned by "Steven Star." The record shows no response from company representatives during the comment.
Reyes said the workplace dispute has had personal consequences for employees. "Durante el último año hemos tenido que mudarnos a viviendas más pequeñas mientras que [la empresa] abre nuevos restaurantes," she said, asserting workers have borne housing disruptions while the employer expands.
She called for stricter enforcement of federal labor law, saying penalties should be tougher so "los empleadores [no puedan] oponer a los sindicatos." Reyes described months of picketing and solidarity travel, saying workers have traveled to Philadelphia and New York to press their case.
The workers' demands listed in the comment included raises, health insurance and improved workplace respect. "No ha sido fácil, pero seguiremos luchando hasta conseguir los aumentos, el seguro médico y el respeto que merecemos," Reyes said, closing her remarks with "Sí se puede."
The transcript records this as public comment; it does not document any formal action, vote or response from the employer during the meeting. The government action Reyes referenced was described in the comment only as "an accusation" of violating federal labor law; no statute citation or case number was provided in the transcript.
