Brooklyn, NY – Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a million-dollar settlement with the owners and former owners of two Brooklyn-based supermarkets for underpayment of their workers and other violations of New York State labor laws. The supermarkets are Associated Supermarket, located at 229 Knickerbocker Avenue, and Pioneer Supermarket, located at 1115 Pennsylvania Avenue (formerly a C-Town supermarket) both in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. The supermarket owners will pay restitution to over 50 of their employees totaling $1.125 million.
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In a separate criminal action brought by Attorney General Cuomo, two owners of Associated Supermarket, Bienvenido Nunez and Martin Duran, have pled guilty to Failure to Pay Wages and Failure to Maintain Payroll Records, both misdemeanors under state law. Today’s announcements are part of Attorney General Cuomo’s ongoing drive to ensure workers across New York State are protected and compensated as they deserve.
“Today’s settlement delivers welcome relief to the New York City workers who spent years being cheated out of money they had rightfully earned,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “The hard-working individuals of this state are the backbone and the lifeblood of our economy, and my office will continue to prosecute employers who ignore the law and steal from their workers.”
In low income ethnic neighborhoods a system evolved where jobless teens bag the purchases for tips. This works for the cashiers as they have less to do and for the teens bagging because they get tips, work indoors in an air conditioned place and they get to flirt or talk all day with the cashiers.
I guess they will now be considered employees and will be paid wages for two weeks (plus back pay) and then be fired, The stores do not need them. I really do not think this was such a crime.
Get the lazy shoppers to bag their own purchases.
As far as I know, where I live, baggers are employed by the stores and do not get tips. I think it is a nice service that the stores provide because it saves time, especially when there are long lines.