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Zizzi pays employees minimum wage through tips
Gondola Group, the private equity-controlled company that owns more than 540 PizzaExpress, Zizzi and ASK restaurants across Britain, describes its 12,000 employees as its "greatest asset" and stated in its most recent financial report that it strives to treat them "with respect... looking after their welfare".
But employees at the 205 branches of Zizzi, a chain specialising in Italian food, and ASK, which specialises in pizzas, have told The Independent the restaurants operate a policy of using gratuities left on a credit card to ensure waiting staff receive the minimum wage of £5.52 per hour.
Workers said they received a basic hourly wage of £4.10 which was made up to the minimum with credit card service charges. Despite heavy criticism, the practice is perfectly legal. Gondola Group, the private equity-controlled company that owns more than 540 PizzaExpress, Zizzi and ASK restaurants across Britain, d... more -
Schwarzenegger signs pay-cut order
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today ordered his administration to lay off thousands of part-time state workers and to work with the state controller to temporarily slash the pay of most full-time employees to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour.
About 10,300 part-time employees will receive pink slips starting today, the governor's aides said.
Schwarzenegger says a 2003 State Supreme Court decision requires the pay cuts for most of the 200,000 full-time state employees in the absence of a budget. He wants the cuts to take effect immediately; they would show up in pay checks at the end of August.
HE MUST BE CRAZY
I HOPE HE DOES NOT WANT TO GET RE ELECTED!!!! Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today ordered his administration to lay off thousands of part-time state workers and to work with the state... more -
Governor plans to slash state workers' pay
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans next week to slash the pay of more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum of $6.55 per hour to help ease the state's budget crisis, according to a draft executive order obtained by The Chronicle on Wednesday.
The governor also will order an end to overtime pay for all but critical services, a freeze on state hiring and the immediate layoff of nearly 22,000 temporary, seasonal and student workers.
"As a result of the late state budget, there is a real and substantial risk that the state will have insufficient cash to pay for state expenditures," the executive order states.
Schwarzenegger's staff would neither confirm nor deny that the governor plans to issue the executive order, but sources said he could take action as early as Monday. The state, facing a projected $17.2 billion budget deficit for the fiscal year that began July 1, has not approved a budget.
"The governor is looking at a number of different options to ensure that the state does not run out of cash," said Aaron McLear, a spokesman for the governor.
But administration officials, who asked to remain anonymous, said that about 200,000 of the state's 245,000 workers, both hourly and salaried, will see their pay trimmed back to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour, saving the state up to $1.2 billion a month. Dropping the temporary and short-time workers will save an additional $28.5 million each month.
While the layoffs could be made immediately, the pay cuts might not be completed until mid- or late August.
The proposed pay cut for hourly employees would take their wages well below the state minimum wage of $8 an hour. But a 2003 California Supreme Court decision allows the state to chop workers' pay to the federal minimum when a state budget has not been enacted.
"While we've had late budgets in the past, the critical difference this year is cash," an administration official said. "We have not had a situation in recent years that's the same as the cash-starved situation that we may face in September if we don't have a budget in place."
While California needs to have about $2.5 billion in cash on hand at any given moment to cover the state's ongoing expenses, the Golden State is projected to have just $1.8 billion at the end of September, the official said.
But the governor's plan could face an immediate challenge from Democratic state Controller John Chiang, who will continue to pay state workers their full salaries, even in the face of Schwarzenegger's executive order, said Hallye Jordan, a spokeswoman for the controller. The governor will have to take Chiang to court if he wants to stop him, she said.
"The controller hasn't seen any executive order, but he would urge the governor to rethink his proposal," she said. "This hasn't been addressed by the courts and if it's ruled illegal, it could cost the state a tremendous amount in damages."
Chiang said the state has enough cash to make all payments, including the regular payroll, through September.
"Cutting workers' salaries will do nothing meaningful to improve our cash position," he said in a statement. The executive order is "nothing more than a poorly devised strategy to put pressure on the Legislature to enact a budget."
The state has been without a budget for nearly a month.
Although Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature remain at odds over how to close the state's anticipated budget deficit, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, has called for a vote Tuesday on the Democrats' budget proposal.
**article continues, click link to read Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans next week to slash the pay of more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum of $6.55 per hou... more -
Going Big box vs. Going Local
What are the effects of our shopping? That big box chain may seem convenient, but is it? How much is all of our shopping costing us ? and the planet? This great new film by Amy Wolf, a film fellow for the Movement Vision Lab, gives us the chance to step back and re-think how we buy what we buy and why! What are the effects of our shopping? That big box chain may seem convenient, but is it? How much is all of our shopping costing us ? ... more
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Minimum Wage Scandal
Employees in workplaces such as restaurants, hotels, cleaning companies, hairdressers and childcare services are among those whose employees are most likely to be dodging the minimum wage laws. A national survey conducted by the TUC union reveals that around 150,000 workers are being denied the legal minimum £5.52 per hour, which falls to £4.60 for 18 to 21-year-olds. Employees in workplaces such as restaurants, hotels, cleaning companies, hairdressers and childcare services are among those whose emp... more
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Panic and chaos and pianist plays on!
Maybe malls should issue tasers to all Christmas shoppers. I don't really think that's a good idea, but I betcha the pink taser sales go through the roof.
http://www.taser.com/products/consumers/Pages/C2.aspx
He was like a lost pound puppy, she said. Nobody wanted him.
The incident was the second mass shooting at a mall by a young adult this year. In February, an 18-year-old killed five people and wounded four more in Salt Lake City before the police killed him.
Weve always felt like this was a safe place, a good place to raise your children, she said. People are Midwesterners, strong and solid and sensible. But it can happen anywhere.
?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!
What's the world coming to when "a lost puppy" kills 8 at a mall? And now I bet the manager at Macdonald's thinks twice before he fires that lazy french fry cook.
"John's late again, this is the last straw. 'You're firerrrrrrrrrrr..... er... never mind. Please don't go postal on me!'" Maybe malls should issue tasers to all Christmas shoppers. I don't really think that's a good idea, but I betcha the pink t... more -
Dear Mr. President
What the insulated life prevents you from seeing.
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Minimum Wage
