Formal discrimination charges filed against Typhoon! on behalf of Thai cooks

KOIN:

Based on evidence showing civil rights violations against recruited workers from Thailand, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) formally announced Tuesday it will seek at least $250,000 in damages per employee from the Typhoon! restaurant chain.Several employees contacted BOLI last year claiming unfair pay, working hours and contracts when compared to non-Thai employees. In May of this year, BOLI announced that multiple witnesses from the U.S. and Thailand came forward and described a company that subjected Thai workers to different treatment."The evidence shows that Typhoon! paid one class of workers less than another because of their national origin," said State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian.The company's managing director, Steve Kline, called the accusations in a previous release "a lot of smoke and mirrors.""Being accused of such outrageous charges as human trafficking and indentured servitude has taken its toll," said Kline in May on recent business numbers.The announcement states that during the investigation, BOLI found that at least 11 Thai cooks employed with E-2 visas were paid less than U.S. citizens with the same position at the chain's locations in Beaverton, Gresham, Southwest Portland and Northwest Portland.According to paperwork from the initial investigation, Thai workers, unlike their American counterparts, were forced into signing employee agreements that required thousands of dollars to be paid to Typhoon! within one day if the employee was terminated. The restaurant also tried to strip Thai employees of the right to seek legal redress in a court of law.The report also indicates Thai workers were relocated between restaurants in different cities, but provided minimal or no notice and no housing as their visa agreements required. By November of 2010, a total of 18 Thai workers resided in two apartments at one single family residence, according to the report.The case will be prosecuted before the BOLI hearings court, with a hearing scheduled for May 12 of next year.--Toshio Suzuki

Read the full article here. Discuss below.