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Restaurant workers in New York City are organizing a boycott against local restaurant chain Saigon Grill. The boycott comes in response to firings and a March lockout of workers by the chain’s owners. Fired Saigon Grill workers, with support from other service workers from uptown and midtown Manhattan restaurants, have joined the “Justice Will Be Served!” campaign. Justice Will Be Served! is a coalition composed of the Chinese Staff and Workers’ Association (CSWA), National Mobilization Against Sweatshops, and 318 Restaurant Workers Union (an independent union for workers in New York’s Chinatown). Uniting restaurant, hotel, and other service workers in New York, “Justice Will Be Served! fights common service industry abuses such as long hours, sub-minimum wages, and stolen tips.

For 10 years, CSWA has largely organized Chinese immigrant workers in Chinatown restaurants, but through “Justice Will Be Served!” CSWA is challenging Manhattan eateries outside of Chinatown. Saigon Grill, with two locations on the Upper West Side and one on Union Square, violates minimum wage standards by paying its delivery workers $1.60 an hour. Saigon Grill managers penalize workers for taking sick leave and charge workers up to $200 in fines for late deliveries. Workers who are robbed or beaten during deliveries have to pay for the orders. Saigon Grill has refused to pay medical expenses for workers injured on the job.

The former Saigon Grill workers have filed a federal lawsuit and have been picketing Saigon Grill restaurants with other service workers and allies. The delivery workers are demanding that Saigon Grill immediately re-hire all delivery workers, pay workers at least minimum wage, and offer overtime pay. You can support the workers by sending an email to the

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, calling on them to meet their workers’ demands. You can also call the Upper West Side locations at 212-875-9072 or Union Square at 212-982-3691. To support the locked out workers, send donations to: Justice Will Be Served! Campaign, c/o CSWA, P.O. Box 130401, New York, NY 10013-0995.

Expiration Date:
Tue, 07/31/2007 - 11:59pm