Workers across five upscale DC restaurants—Le Diplomate, Pastis, and St. Anselm from restaurateur Stephen Starr and Rasika and Modena from Knightbridge Restaurant Group—announced plans to unionize last month. A labor organizing drive of this size is unprecedented in the local restaurant industry, and the unions could collectively represent 500 front- and back-of-house workers if they’re successful. So far, Knightsbridge and Starr Restaurants have said they will not voluntarily recognize the unions. Employees at some of the restaurants now claim that they are facing intimidation and retaliation in an attempt to quash their efforts—allegations that both restaurant groups deny.
At Rasika Penn Quarter, Unite Here Local 25—which is representing workers from all the restaurants—alleges that three employees have been fired for their involvement in the union push. They also claim that supervisors have threatened union supporters and interrogated employees, leading them to file an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency charged with protecting workers’ rights.
Knightbridge Restaurant Group owner Ashok Bajaj calls the allegations “false” and claims that the union is “engaging in a defamatory smear campaign while also trying to harass and coerce employees to change their minds.”
“We have not retaliated against any employees in response to union matters. There has also not been any complaint issued against Rasika. The union has filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, which we look forward to proving are baseless,” he says. “A majority of our employees continue to exercise their right to choose not to be represented by the union… We will not succumb to the union’s inappropriate and unlawful tactics at the expense of our employees’ democratic right of choice. We will always treat our employees with respect, dignity, and appreciation.”
Meanwhile, workers at Starr Restaurants have filed their own labor law violation charges. At Pastis, they allege supervisors have interrogated employees about the union and told kitchen staff “they will be stricter” with workers. At St. Anselm, a supervisor allegedly told an employee that they should not support the union because it would result in new “restaurant dismissal rules.”
In a written statement, Starr Restaurants called the ULP filings a “typical tactic of unions” that “can be filed regardless of the legal merit of the underlying allegations.” The group said the restaurants will “vigorously defend themselves” against these allegations to the NLRB.
“The management at St. Anselm and Pastis are committed to fostering a respectful, fair workplace environment where staff feel welcome, safe, and heard. The restaurants have and will continue to investigate any issues or concerns raised by their employees, and take appropriate action as necessary,” the statement from Starr Restaurants continues. “As such, we also support an individual’s right to vote about the future of their work environment, including supporting the National Labor Relations Board’s conducting of a secret ballot election where every employee is able to vote without the influence of any party.”
“It was a big surprise.”
Halis Rodriguez, who worked at Rasika in Penn Quarter for nine years bussing, polishing, and cleaning, is among those who was fired. She says owner Ashok Bajaj got wind that workers were up to something in December and confronted her at the restaurant to ask what they were doing. “I told him I had no idea, I didn’t know what he was talking about,” she says, through a translator with Unite Here Local 25. She claims Bajaj offered her money to provide information on who was involved. “I just kept saying, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know why he’s offering me money,'” she says. “He yelled at me and then he said that if I was involved that he would fire me.”
The following week, Rodriguez says her hours were cut by more than half. Then a manager called to say “there was no more work for me,” she says. She says no one ever gave her an official reason why she was let go. The firing happened several days before the workers officially told Bajaj they intended to unionize.
“It was a big surprise, especially working there for nine years. And I do consider myself to have been one of the best workers in Rasika,” Rodriguez says.
Yessenia Garcia, a busser at Rasika for the last three months, says the restaurant has hired new bussers and cut her hours since the union campaign went public, which she believes is a form of retaliation and an attempt to isolate union supporters from their coworkers. She also says managers have become more “intense” and “colder,” creating an atmosphere of stress.
In addition to calling these statements false, Knightsbridge has posted a series of video testimonials across its restaurants’ Instagram pages with employees sharing why they like working for company. “They have never made me feel uncomfortable about the way I speak or the way I look. It’s a really good place to work,” writes a hostess at Rasika Penn Quarter. Another Knightsbridge employee of 14 years, who currently works at Modena, says: “I love this place. Ashok comes in every single shift, every day. He is someone I can talk to. I can ask him any questions. If I have any problems, I can approach him. I love my job.”
“Looking for an excuse to punish us”
Bryan Cruz Bernal, a Pastis line cook who spoke to Washingtonian via a translator, says the feeling in the kitchen has been “very tense” since the union effort went public. He claims the kitchen staff are being surveilled more closely than usual as if “they’re always looking for an excuse to punish us.” For example, he says they’ve cracked down on tardiness, giving a warning to one colleague who showed up to work 15 minutes late after a lengthy commute. He says managers have also become stricter about phone use. Whereas they used to check the time or play music, now, he alleges, a supervisor will bang the table and say, “No phones!”
Bernal says the kitchen crew is no longer allowed to bring in meals from a woman with a food cart who used to come to the back of the restaurant. He says they were also told they could not get food off the restaurant line either. Bernal usually comes into work at 8 or 9 AM, depending on the day, and family meal is not until 4 PM. “Until then, there’s no way to get food, and most of us come in without having breakfast,” he says. “They would just let us eat while we were doing other things, but now not even that.”
Another time, Bernal says he stepped in to help a coworker who had a lot of food order tickets. When the chef came to observe the work, he said it was good but “what a shame that you only have three days left to work.” Bernal perceived it as a threat that he might not keep his job.
In a continuation of its statement above, Starr Restaurants says, “We take pride in the benefits, professional workplace, and growth opportunities we offer our workers, and we believe that’s why we have a stellar reputation in the industry, with many of our employees staying with us for years.”
Starr Restaurants has hired anti-union “persuaders” from American Labor Group to meet with workers. Starr Restaurants says these specialists aim to ensure employees “understand their legal rights” and “help them make an informed decision.”
In past filings with the Department of Labor, American Labor Group—which has charged other businesses anywhere from $200 to $390 per hour or $1,800 to $3,250 per day—has said it makes “every effort to achieve a positive outcome” for the employer through a range of services that include one-on-one meetings employees and drafting campaign materials.
Meanwhile, hundreds of workers and their supporters held a “march for respect” downtown last week, culminating in a picket in front of Rasika. At the same time, the union is encouraging people to eat at the restaurants, not boycott them, to show support for staff.
Workers for St. Anselm are set to head to an NLRB election on February 21, with election dates for the other Starr Restaurants forthcoming. No elections have yet been set for Knightsbridge. If a majority of employees who vote decide they want to unionize, the restaurants will be legally obligated to negotiate a contract with them in good faith.