Restaurant workers group suing Darden Restaurants for alleged racial discrimination, violations of labor laws

Nevin Barich

LOS ANGELES , January 31, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) – Restaurant workers advocacy organization Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC) is suing Darden Restaurants Inc., accusing the company of racial discrimination and violations of labor laws, Reuters reported on Jan. 31.

The lawsuit alleges that Caucasian employees at Darden’s Capital Grille steakhouse chain have lucrative “front-of-the-house” positions while minorities hold “back-of-the-house” positions, which offer lower pay. Additionally, the lawsuit claims that employees were forced to share their tips with non-tipped employees, and were forced to work without pay or adequate rest breaks.

Darden is the largest full-service restaurant company in the U.S. The company was ranked by Fortune magazine as one of the “100 best companies to work for” in 2011 and 2012. Additionally, Darden’s CEO is African American.

The primary source of this article is Reuters, New York, New York, on Jan. 31, 2012.

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