Fresno takes first legal action against alleged wage theft

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The City of Fresno made past arsenic it seeks to prosecute those who perpetrate wage theft.

The 19-page ailment was filed past week and identified arsenic galore arsenic 9 victims who are astatine the halfway of the City's archetypal wage theft prosecution. It impacts those described arsenic the city's astir susceptible workers.

The year-long probe culminated successful a ailment alleging astir a twelve violations of the California Labor Code.

The City of Fresno took the archetypal ineligible enactment of its benignant successful the state, with the absorption connected Pinnacle Hospitality and Development.

"Following galore allegations of terrible wage theft committed against our section Fresno workforce, said City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell.

Victims are said to person performed assorted enactment projects including tile and expanse stone installation, demolition, coating and cleaning.

"Obviously, bluish collar workers," said Andrew Janz, Fresno City Attorney.

"I deliberation a batch of folks deliberation that they could spell aft these individuals, reasoning they tin instrumentality vantage and exploit them," said Councilmember Maxwell.

Last week, the City of Fresno filed an 11-count ailment successful Fresno Superior Court against Pinnacle, its CEO, and contractor Juan Moreno -- who was hired by Pinnacle.

"In 2023, Pinnacle, the named defendant, brought a contractor Juan Moreno who promised to bash the aforesaid enactment arsenic their erstwhile contractor astatine a faster and cheaper rate," said Attorney Janz.

Between August of past twelvemonth and this past January, the City Attorney's bureau received a full of 9 complaints related to the alleged wage theft operation enactment conducted astatine the Holiday Inn adjacent Highway 99 and Herndon Avenue.

"The tile installation and carpet installation workers were promised piece-rate wage depending connected the fig of rooms, floors and tiles they carpeted," said Attorney Janz. "The remaining workers were promised varying rates of pay, immoderate of which did not conscionable minimum wage standards."

The ailment cited workers were paid $50 a time for an 8 to 12-hour shift. The employees besides worked Monday done Saturday shifts.

"That idiosyncratic went retired and recovered immoderate susceptible folks successful our assemblage and offered them currency successful speech for enactment - didn't wage them for what they were owed," said Attorney Janz.

The suit estimated penalties owed by the defendants astatine astir $58,000.

"To immoderate of you retired there, that whitethorn not look similar a batch of money, but for blue-collar workers, who are conscionable trying to marque ends conscionable with their families, this is simply a important magnitude of money," said Attorney Janz.

The grounds successful this lawsuit is said to beryllium supported by substance messages, videos, images, a constabulary study and a missing insubstantial trail.

"A deficiency of wage stubs successful summation to statements provided to our investigators by the victims, which each corroborate themselves," said Attorney Janz.

The City is capable to prosecute this lawsuit done a $720,000 assistance from the State.

"That was 1 of the largest allocations successful the full State of California due to the fact that we demonstrated aboriginal connected that we were precise superior astir this program," said Councilmember Maxwell.

ABC30 did talk with a typical of Pinnacle Hospitality and Development. It confirmed it did person the complaint, but it did not recognize wherefore the City was involved.

The Fresno City Attorney's bureau is investigating arsenic galore arsenic 12 different cases involving alleged instances of wage theft.

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