Thursday, January 8, 2015

Reader report: Call for a boycott at Grand Sichuan on St. Mark's Place



Supporters and former employees of the restaurant between Second Avenue and Third Avenue have assembled for what is expected to be a weekly picket...

The workers are handing out flyers outlining their allegations...



Here's a PDF with background on the legal case.

Thanks to @kxd8053 for the photos via Twitter

Updated:

Gothamist has more on the story here.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for these employees for standing up for themselves. I will not eat at this place again until I hear working conditions have changed.

Anonymous said...

How can this be? Isn't this one of those independent mom and pop shops? The ones we need to support because they are so good and wonderful and better than the evil chains ? This is shocking. You mean the place I get Chinese food from hires and exploits illegal labor? OMG- What am I supposed to do now? I can't go out today and get the food myself. I need a delivery. Oh the horror!

Anonymous said...

It's grievances, not allegations.

Like your name!

Anonymous said...

Maybe they should also add to the reasons to boycott: "glorification of Chairman Mao".

Anonymous said...

Perhaps you can limit your eating to the chains, McDs, Subway and KFC.

Anonymous said...

@2:17 PM

Labor abuse does not only happen with big companies however when it does it can affect 10's of thousands of workers. Your comment is insensitive to these people's problem.

Anonymous said...

I was being sarcastic.Sorry you didn't get it. I'll be more clear in the future.

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear they're taking a stand and I will join in the boycott. I have eaten here many times and am angry to know that my tips may not have gone to the hardworking servers and that they have been cheated in general. The lack of respect for their employees and no compassion for how difficult it is to survive on minimal pay is despicable. Jerks.

Anonymous said...

So was I. Apology accepted.

Anonymous said...

The food was good

Anonymous said...

Better boycott Chinese food period. This is how they operate. Its a story as old as NYC.

Giovanni said...

Employees are abused by many kinds of restaurants and fast food businesses, including McDonald's whch is why there are ongoing protests against the big chain's low wages too. Chipotle, which is right next door to Grand Szechuan, has had employee protests and walkouts due to understaffing and overworking their employees. But don't tell that to all the people sitting in the windows eating their $10 no GMO burritos, they don't really care.

This protest is similar to the one at Saigon Grill on University Place which went on for months, and was finally resolved. The Saigon Grill on the UWS wasn't so lucky and was shut down after years of protetsts when the owners refused to pay millions of dollars in back wages. Support the boycott until this place meets the workers demands.