Maine Workers Sue Restaurant over Lost Wages and Overtime Pay

Portland, MEA group of employees at a popular Portland restaurant is filing a class action lawsuit against the restaurant's owners, citing lost wages and overtime pay.

A group of eight former and current employees of The Front Room Restaurant charge that the head chef and CEO Harding Lee Smith fails to pay his workers the state's minimum wage, docks overtime pay and forces several employees to surrender a portion of their tips to management.

The suit also alleges that chef Smith fostered a culture of disrespect at the popular eatery, allegations that Smith vehemently denies.

"We have always complied with state and federal law regarding tipped employees and have had no reason to deviate from that practice," Smith tells the local news. "The Front Room has been one of Portland's most successful restaurants for the past four years because we treat our employees and customers very well."

The plaintiffs are seeking $160,000 in unpaid wages and damages and are receiving assistance from the food service workers' advocacy group, the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Maine (ROCM).

The ROCM first learned of the problems at the Front Room from a statewide survey of restaurant workers, the results of which will be released next month.