Pure Food & Wine Many Unlucky Ducks
Donation protected
Pure Food and Wine is a highly renowned raw-vegan restaurant in Gramercy open since 2004, offering a truly memorable dining experience that attracted guests from Bill Clinton to Stevie Wonder. The restaurant shares ownership with two One Lucky Duck juice bars and a production kitchen in Brooklyn, employing nearly 100 dedicated workers.
These employees had the privilege of coming to work and finding joy in offering the highest quality products and services to their customers, many continuing to do so as long as 10 years after being hired. The staff is comprised of many students, artists, spouses, and parents.
On Friday, January 2nd, these nearly 100 workers received their first bi-weekly paychecks of 2015 and headed to the bank as usual. These paychecks included all credit card and cash tips pooled in the restaurant. Many had planned for these earnings to cover their monthly rent.
The following week, many checks began bouncing. Some folks saw their money successfully deposited, only to be automatically withdrawn after rent or bill payments had already been sent.
The house accountant and general manager, immediately bombarded with questions, claimed that he was as surprised as anyone. But he announced that, according to "higher-ups", new checks would be issued on Monday, January 12th.
The ensuing response in everyone's mind: "Not again!"
In July of 2014, the entire company's payroll bounced in the same manner. Promises were made, and then amended, for several weeks. Patience wore as thin as spider's web. After 4 weeks, paychecks were finally processed and everyone breathed a long sigh of relief.
Sarma Melngailis, the co-founder and owner of Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck, chose not to provide any advanced warning, whatsoever, of a potential problem before checks were distributed on January 2. And when everyone individually contacted her the following week for a simple explanation, she offered them all the same response: silence.
When everyone returned to work on Monday January 12, the accountant's relaid message turned out to be another empty promise. This was a defining, painful moment of realization that a grave injustice was being committed against us. That day, we made a collective decision to join together and stand up for ourselves. And we made an ultimatum.
The rest of the #ManyUnluckyDucks story can be told through the media attention it has received:
http://ny.eater.com/2015/1/13/7539521/pure-food-wine-is-dark-tonight-as-staff-walks-out-over-unpaid-wages
http://gothamist.com/2015/01/13/pure_food_and_wine_walkout.php
http://ny.eater.com/2015/1/16/7556849/whats-going-on-at-pure-food-wine-where-staff-remains-unpaid-and-owner
http://laborpress.org/sectors/union-retail/4917-bad-karma-sarma-lucky-duck-owner-stiffs-workers
http://www.twcnews.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2015/01/17/workers-at-two-vegan-restaurants-say-they-haven-t-been-paid-since-before-christmas.html
http://town-village.com/2015/01/23/pure-food-wine-employees-suing-over-unpaid-wages/
It seems likely that a collective action lawsuit might put this hard earned money back where it belongs. However, this process could take months, if not years.
You may be asking: where does GoFundMe come in?
Right now, many Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck employees are experiencing extreme financial difficulties, including negative or frozen bank accounts.
Everyone has taken practical steps, outside of the workers strike, to search for new jobs, and even file for unemployment benefits while undergoing that search. But with 4 weeks of missing back pay, they could use your help now more than ever.
Many are still in shock, grieving that they will never experience the magic of 54 Irving Place again: the other-worldly garden area, the larger-than-life dishes, to-die-for desserts, world-class wine and sake cocktails, and homemade juices, all made with love.
Please help these smiling faces, who made this all possible, continue to bring magic to new places.
Whether you are a loyal Pure or Lucky Duck customer, love restaurants or vegan food, or simply believe in workers' rights to survival, any donation you can give will make a profound impact putting these talented people back on their feet.
*Several employees have opted out of this fundraiser in consideration of their colleagues for whom help is most needed.
**Otherwise, all proceeds will be shared equally between wait staff, counter staff, and kitchen staff.
Thank you!
These employees had the privilege of coming to work and finding joy in offering the highest quality products and services to their customers, many continuing to do so as long as 10 years after being hired. The staff is comprised of many students, artists, spouses, and parents.
On Friday, January 2nd, these nearly 100 workers received their first bi-weekly paychecks of 2015 and headed to the bank as usual. These paychecks included all credit card and cash tips pooled in the restaurant. Many had planned for these earnings to cover their monthly rent.
The following week, many checks began bouncing. Some folks saw their money successfully deposited, only to be automatically withdrawn after rent or bill payments had already been sent.
The house accountant and general manager, immediately bombarded with questions, claimed that he was as surprised as anyone. But he announced that, according to "higher-ups", new checks would be issued on Monday, January 12th.
The ensuing response in everyone's mind: "Not again!"
In July of 2014, the entire company's payroll bounced in the same manner. Promises were made, and then amended, for several weeks. Patience wore as thin as spider's web. After 4 weeks, paychecks were finally processed and everyone breathed a long sigh of relief.
Sarma Melngailis, the co-founder and owner of Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck, chose not to provide any advanced warning, whatsoever, of a potential problem before checks were distributed on January 2. And when everyone individually contacted her the following week for a simple explanation, she offered them all the same response: silence.
When everyone returned to work on Monday January 12, the accountant's relaid message turned out to be another empty promise. This was a defining, painful moment of realization that a grave injustice was being committed against us. That day, we made a collective decision to join together and stand up for ourselves. And we made an ultimatum.
The rest of the #ManyUnluckyDucks story can be told through the media attention it has received:
http://ny.eater.com/2015/1/13/7539521/pure-food-wine-is-dark-tonight-as-staff-walks-out-over-unpaid-wages
http://gothamist.com/2015/01/13/pure_food_and_wine_walkout.php
http://ny.eater.com/2015/1/16/7556849/whats-going-on-at-pure-food-wine-where-staff-remains-unpaid-and-owner
http://laborpress.org/sectors/union-retail/4917-bad-karma-sarma-lucky-duck-owner-stiffs-workers
http://www.twcnews.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2015/01/17/workers-at-two-vegan-restaurants-say-they-haven-t-been-paid-since-before-christmas.html
http://town-village.com/2015/01/23/pure-food-wine-employees-suing-over-unpaid-wages/
It seems likely that a collective action lawsuit might put this hard earned money back where it belongs. However, this process could take months, if not years.
You may be asking: where does GoFundMe come in?
Right now, many Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck employees are experiencing extreme financial difficulties, including negative or frozen bank accounts.
Everyone has taken practical steps, outside of the workers strike, to search for new jobs, and even file for unemployment benefits while undergoing that search. But with 4 weeks of missing back pay, they could use your help now more than ever.
Many are still in shock, grieving that they will never experience the magic of 54 Irving Place again: the other-worldly garden area, the larger-than-life dishes, to-die-for desserts, world-class wine and sake cocktails, and homemade juices, all made with love.
Please help these smiling faces, who made this all possible, continue to bring magic to new places.
Whether you are a loyal Pure or Lucky Duck customer, love restaurants or vegan food, or simply believe in workers' rights to survival, any donation you can give will make a profound impact putting these talented people back on their feet.
*Several employees have opted out of this fundraiser in consideration of their colleagues for whom help is most needed.
**Otherwise, all proceeds will be shared equally between wait staff, counter staff, and kitchen staff.
Thank you!
Organizer
Kevin Connery
Organizer
New York, NY
