More than 100 workers at a half-dozen Connecticut restaurants will share $858,000 in back pay and damages, on the heels of a U.S. Department of Labor investigation into whether the businesses violated overtime and tip provisions in federal employment law.
DOL announced the award on Tuesday afternoon against the owners of 55 Wine Bar in Fairfield; Cava Wine Bar and Restaurant in New Canaan; Harvest Wine Bar & Restaurant in New Haven and Westport; Scena Wine Bar and Restaurant in Darien; and Sundown in Greenwich.
In court documents, DOL cited Vicente Siguenza, Nube Siguenza and Kleber Siguenza as having ownership interests in all six restaurants, with Wilson Siguenza having an equity stake in Sundown, Scena and the two Harvest restaurants.
According to DOL's original complaint in court, restaurant violations included compensating managers from tip pools for regular employees; failing to pay employees for all hours worked; and failing to pay employees at one-and-a-half times regular pay for working more than 40 hours in a week. In an initial answer in court, the defendants had denied those allegations.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut had granted a partial summary judgment last November, ruling the restaurants violated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime and recordkeeping provisions. An additional consent judgment was reached in February covering additional back wages, withheld tips and damages.
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