China Grill’s owner becomes latest to kiss off seafood purveyor Wild Edibles over alleged labor violations.
by Lisa Fickenscher
Published: July 28, 2008 - 3:17 pm
A year-long campaign by workers’ advocacy group to put pressure on seafood purveyor Wild Edibles to settle a dispute over alleged labor law violations appears to be paying off.
Celebrity restaurateur, Jeffrey Chodorow is the latest heavy-weight to sever his company’s relationship with Long Island City-based purveyor, according to Brandworkers International, a worker-advocacy group representing some of the seafood company’s warehouse employees.
With some two dozen restaurants across the country, including its Midtown flagship, China Grill, Mr. Chodorow’s China Grill Management now ranks as the largest restaurant group to support the campaign.
Wild Edibles was accused in a September 2007 lawsuit of failing to pay its workers over-time wages and of firing some of them for union activities. The National Labor Relations Board has also filed two complaints against the company for retaliating against workers, who are trying to organize warehouse employees.
Brandworkers says 33 New York City restaurants, including those owned by prominent restaurateur Danny Meyer, have ceased buying seafood from Wild Edibles.
Wild Edibles’ owner, “Richard Martin has dug in his heels and has opted for a costly battle,” says Daniel Gross who heads up the worker advocacy group.
Mr. Martin is not the only one in the food service industry, however, who is fighting the group’s effort. Mr. Gross says City Bakery and its catering arm, owned by Maury Rubin, refuses to meet with representatives of Brandworkers. Other restaurateurs have reluctantly signed on to the campaign under pressure as was the case with Danny Abrams who, co-owns The Mermaid Inn.
Earlier this year, Mr. Abrams said in an interview with Crain’s “I find the whole thing murky regarding [Brandworkers International’s] desired resolution.”
Mr. Martin and his legal counsel as well as Mr. Chodorow could not be reached for comment.