Kitchen staff walks out at Castagnola's in S.F.

[AsahinaKimi]

Castagnola's Resturant in Fisheerman's Wharf.

Around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 95-year-old Castagnola's on Fisherman's Wharf (286 Jefferson St.) was buzzing. With a holiday weekend swelling the reservation book, the dining room was full and the Saturday night comedy show was set to begin.

Then the kitchen staff walked out.

And then all the guests - more than 200 of them - were asked to leave, because, well, there was no food.

The restaurant closed for the night. It reopened the next day, but estimates for the lost Saturday night revenue lurched upward of $40,000.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/07/DD061L0QBQ.DTL#ixzz1XOaA47HM
Wow. Eaten here on many times. Its a tourist trap, but wow..."Castagnola's has since hired a new kitchen staff." Guess I will not eat there any more!


More here
http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2011/09/08/on-the-kitchen-walk-out-at-castagnolas/

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. they all lost their jobs...

[Brigid]

95. That may be . . .

but at least they went out in a blaze of glory. Anybody else feel that workers everywhere are just fed up and not going to take it anymore?

[Maine-ah]

99. I love it!

I had so many day dreams about doing this in the middle of a dinner shift! Kudos to them for standing up for themselves, and willing to put everything at risk. I hope they all find better employment soon!

[TK421]

168. I hope they all find something soon..the job situation is pretty ugly out there n/t

[Enrique]

177. obviously n/t

[MineralMan]

2. They make a decent cioppino. It's what I order there if I'm forced

to go there by people visiting S.F. There are lots of better places to eat, but their cioppino isn't half bad.

[izquierdista]

15. Not any more

Right now they are a new restaurant that has just opened, with all the attendant problems. That is, until the new staff learn how to do everything. It's one thing to get a couple new hires up to speed; when everyone is new, there is no 'speed' to come up to. I'd have to fall back on my old rule of not going to a restaurant until they have been open at least a month.

[MineralMan]

21. Castagnola's has never been my choice anyhow. It's a tourist

trap. San Francisco is full of great restaurants, and they're not one of them. But, I still feel bad for the workers there. I'm sure most will find new jobs quickly. And you're right, the restaurant's gonna suck big-time with an all new kitchen staff. No way would I step into it right now.

[joeybee12]

3. Shitty article as one commenter notes...nothing from the workers POV...

Asshole SF Chronicle, right-wing rag.

[Warpy]

36. My guess is that the new GM is a raving asshole

who has come out of some management program and has never worked a busy kitchen shift or he'd never have tried to increase those hours. Cutting corners on the menu probably just added insult to injury.

Personally, I prefer family run hole in the wall places to huge warehouse like dining rooms, I don't care how beautiful the location is, so I'd never go there in the first place.

I'd definitely avoid it now that they're breaking in a whole new staff. Good luck to the new GM and the Red Sox.

[Lost-in-FL]

40. +1

This will be the new norm everywhere from now on.

You will have to take a beating because there are so many people out of jobs that they would fire anyone indiscriminately. Their point is to fire people until they find those too desperate to complaint.

[AsahinaKimi]

60. oh spot on!

I think you hit the nail on the head!

[Lost-in-FL]

75. Unfortunately, that is what I look forward to everyday.

I have to watch my back constantly because management have been firing people left and right at my job (healthcare). What is keeping me safe is my work ethics but unfortunately, I have a big mouth (which is a bad thing in a corporation)

[AsahinaKimi]

87. well...

Ganbatte ne! Do you best!

[Brigid]

156. Some time ago . . .

a fellow DUer said he or she had a boss who liked to make it a habit to go around the office with a pile of applications in his hand, saying that he had plenty of applicants to take their places.

[xmas74]

169. My boss does something similar.

We have the occasional meeting and at those meetings my bosses will bring in a cardboard storage box and open it up, reading off the applications inside. the message is that there are many people waiting to take your job.

They want us to shut up and take it.

[Enrique]

178. i was actually told that by a boss

i was telling her, I cant get this much done during my shift. She said that she was at a meeting with her bosses and they were telling all the managers that its a bad economy, theres a lot of people out there, if your people cant get it done then find someone who can. That little story came up during my hearing where they were contesting my unemployment benefits.

[joeybee12]

47. The GM probably has better luck than the Red Sux going right now.

Thanks.

[MadHound]

4. And they then fired all the old kitchen staff,

And hired all new staff. Gotta love those cost saving measures. Perhaps a boycott in support of the old kitchen staff should be set up.

[MineralMan]

7. Sounds like a boycott is in order, for sure.

I wouldn't go there at this point. There are many other better restaurants in the city. And this one's going to suck for some time to come. Maybe their stupidity will prove to be the last straw and they'll fail. That'd be just fine with me. Screw 'em if they can't treat their employees right.

[AsahinaKimi]

11. Definately will never eat there again.

There are far better seafood restaurants at pier 39 and on the wharf.

[comtec]

179. Pier 23 (29?) IS AMAZING!!!!

it' a ways down from 39, and if you blink you might miss it, but it's GOOD FOOD!
LoL it's even been on Diners drive-in's and dives!
a lil spendy, but great seafood and ambiance.

[AsahinaKimi]

223. Are you talking about Fog City Diner?

I went there once, and the only way I knew about it was that it was being pushed by a Visa Credit card advertisement on tv. I thought, "Whats so special about this place?" So I went and checked it out. It wasn't bad but, I would never go back, its way too expensive for my taste. Its one of those kind of restaurants where your meal is paying the Chef.. You know, where they give you this huge dish with very little food on it, and its like over 25 dollars a plate? Meh, I would rather go to Scoma's where you get the quality at a good price.

[MadHound]

12. Once in awhile you and I see eye to eye.

Probably more than we would care to admit:evilgrin:

No, I will be patronizing other restaurants when I visit as well.

[MineralMan]

14. Castagnola's isn't that great anyhow. I'm just sorry that all those

workers have to find something else. Fortunately, SF is full of restaurants, and they'll probably find new work.

[SoapBox]

71. Ditto!

[Lost-in-FL]

5. So sad.

How an entire staff can be replaced like that. This is what we have done to ourselves.

[hack89]

6. Easy - by walking out and costing the owner $40k in losses. nt

[MadHound]

8. And what were the owners costing their employees?

Longer shifts, redoing an entirely new menu. Sounds like more work for less pay. I think that the kitchen staff did the right thing.

[hack89]

13. So now they are unemployed. nt

[MadHound]

16. Yep, they are,

I'm sure they weren't planning on getting fired, but there are times when you have to draw a line in the sand at some point. Perhaps they should organize a picket, a boycott, what do you think?

[hack89]

26. They should organize a job search. nt

[ontime1969]

88. LOLZ play with the bull....get the horns

I learned this lesson at the early age of 17. Hopefully some of these people will think twice next time they believe they are so important that they cant be replaced in....less than 24 hours. Bad time to learn a harsh lesson when there is an abundance of unemployed workers out there. I'm sorry to say this, but these workers don't know how good they have it. San Francisco is on of very few cities that mandate paid sick leave for restaurant workers. I wish the workers POV was expressed, but if these dummies on Hells Kitchen and top chief can crank out a new menu and cook it in less that 4 hours, i fail to see why these so called professional kitchen staffers feel like its beyond their scope.

[Book Lover]

133. Yeah, those fools not wanting to work more for the same amount of money!

What schmucks! They should be grateful for the chance to be exploited.

[hack89]

145. They could have simply quit and got a better job. nt

[Fool Count]

214. And that would be an entirely different outcome for them how?

By not costing the owners $40k? I am sure they are beating themselves over that
unfortunate circumstance now.

[Angry Dragon]

217. .............

:thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

[Lost-in-FL]

35. I am sure they were expecting to be fired.

Their line of work is always open to opportunities.

[alarimer]

79. They must have been truly horrible to work.

They deserve the losses and more. Maybe one of the fired employees should call the health department.

[Lost-in-FL]

18. $40,000 loss that the owners can claim on their taxes or insurance policy.

In times like these, I would not walk out of my job. However, I would never allow my employer to exploit me to a point in which I am force to get together with other employees for a walk-out.

[hack89]

24. Simple lesson - don't walk out unless you are willing to keep on walking.

if I was the owner, I would question whether I could trust that staff again. Simpler to start over with a new staff that understands and accepts the new reality.

[Lost-in-FL]

29. Exactly… If I am going to be exploited for a few pennies

I start my own restaurant based on the same "techniques" and "dishes" I used to prepare for the restaurant. In the end, everything is about profit and competition… right?

[hack89]

31. It is a tourist trap restaurant

I suspect that there was nothing earth shattering about their "techniques" and "dishes" - they simply have a great location.

[Lost-in-FL]

32. Tourist trap or not… those are workers wanting better working conditions.

If you do not believe in better working conditions for employees, what is the point of even coming here to DU?

[hack89]

33. So tell me how bad they had it

what were their wages? Were they comparable to other restaurants? Was the place making money? Give me the details on their new working conditions? How long have had they been talking with the owner?

[Lost-in-FL]

37. Right. They walked out because they have it so good!

:rofl:

They wanted to be miserable in another place.

[hack89]

38. No - they most likely overplayed their hand

thought that with a restaurant full of people the owner wouldn't call their bluff. A hard lesson but a lesson non-the-less.

I take it you have no real facts then?

[Lost-in-FL]

41. I take you have a cushy job. nt

[hack89]

42. No - I just have better judgment. nt

[Lost-in-FL]

44. I am sure the GM is now looking for people "with better judgement". nt

[hack89]

45. Considering that they will have jobs, there is a lot of truth in what you say. nt

[CreekDog]

54. I see your posts

No you don't. :rofl:

[Claudia Jones]

64. your judgement is extremely poor

Your judgement is that you are in it for yourself and are on your own, and that no risks should be taken to fight back against management or to build solidarity. That is short-sighted and self-centered, and betrays a serious lack of good judgement.

[hack89]

65. Not every owner is evil nor every worker pure at heart. nt

[Claudia Jones]

68. no one said any such thing

You probably do not realize that you just used a false and illogical retort that was very popular with the opponents of the Abolition movement. "Not every slave owner is evil, and not every slave is pure at heart." While that was no doubt true, the Abolitionists stood with the slaves and against the slave owners because which side was "good" or bad" was not relevant.

[hack89]

72. We are talking about a family owned and run business

if you want to paint them with the same broadbrush used against Bank America, Exxon or GE - go ahead. If you think any one that owns a business is the moral equivalent to a slave owner, knock yourself out.

[Claudia Jones]

77. see my post below

This ploy will not fool many people.

Clearly, the workers also have families and are also trying to make a living, so your supposed reasons for automatically siding with management are not legitimate.

[hack89]

78. See my post below your post. nt

[keroro gunsou]

181. just because it's family owned

doesn't mean the family aren't assholes. i've worked for both. nice and asshole family-owned restaurants. fortunately for me, the customers at the asshole-run place were sympathetic to most of the staff and tipped pretty well. one of the server i bused for was verbally dressed down in full view of some customers by the wife of the owner, pretty much everyone tipped her before they left. i was practically told that lazy kids like me were a dime a dozen and i couldn't support the team, i should find another job, this was brought on by asking off for my birthday which is a week before valentine's day....

slave owners no, slave drivers and cheap, greedy bastards, oh hell yes.

[JoeyT]

198. Koch industries is a family run and owned business.

I hope you don't think that makes the first bit of difference in how the owner acts.

[AsahinaKimi]

152. What you said - +1

agree!

[RetroLounge]

90. Actually no, you don't

:rofl:

RL

[Name removed]

171. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CreekDog]

53. Why? Without that info you automatically took the owners side

Without info, you took the owners side.

But you're saying here that without info, you can't take the workers side.

Try not to be so transparent. :eyes:

[hack89]

63. They put a gun to his head - he had the courage to hold firm.

there is no reason to assume their motives were pure or their cause just.

[Claudia Jones]

66. you are siding with management

Why not do so honestly and openly?

Management "put a gun to the head" of the employees, and they had the courage to resist. There is no reason to assume that the motives of management were pure or their cause just. Yet you implicitly do assume that.

[hack89]

70. I am siding with a family owned and run business.

average folks like you and me just trying to make a living.

[Claudia Jones]

74. huh?

The workers are also "average folks like you and me just trying to make a living."

There were many who held one or two slaves before emancipation who could have been described as "average folks like you and me just trying to make a living." That was no reason to side with the slave owners.

So you do admit that you do in fact side with management, I see.

[hack89]

76. You want to divide and label people into neat and tidy groups

I don't have such a simplistic outlook on life.

[Claudia Jones]

82. you have nothing then

You cannot defend your position, so you now resort to talking about the messenger rather than the message.

Management and labor had a dispute at that restaurant. Those are "the neat and tidy groups" I am seeing. I am seeing them because they exist. That is not a "simplistic outlook on life" it is an accurate - and honest one.

My sympathies are with labor. Yours are with management. That is the different "outlook on life" between us.

[hack89]

86. My sympathies are for people that work hard for a living

the difference is that I include small business owners in that group. My SIL runs a dog groom business, my brother a small plumbing company. They have poured everything they have into their businesses. Yet they are nothing more than "management" to you - blood sucking leaches screwing over the working man. Except they are the living definition of the "working man". You want to shit all over them - I choose not to.

[Selatius]

98. Every worker does have a right to strike or form a labor union. That is where this thing started.

Sure, the owner owns the restaurant, but the workers sell the owner their labor. If the workers feel that the employer is undervaluing their labor, they can bring it up with management, and if management's solution is inadequate, they can vote to join a labor union and formally negotiate a new labor contract or go on strike immediately.

[hack89]

100. Yes - and now we know why striking immediately was such poor judgment.

worker rights are not helped by such heavy handed tactics - they picked their time to maximize the economic damage to the business. Nothing says the owner has to accept that.

[Selatius]

101. Historically speaking, striking isn't employed unless all other remedies are exhausted.

While we don't know all the facts, if the history books are any indication, the discussion between management and labor could very well have gone on a long time with no mutually agreed upon solution. If all non-confrontational remedies were exhausted, then striking would be the next step, and striking at a peak time would tactically send a message to the owner.

[hack89]

105. And it appears the message they sent was "I don't want a job".

they overplayed their hand - in this economy how long do you think it will take to find replacements? I bet people were lining up to apply within hours.

They may have been in the right morally but sending a tactical message was a strategic blunder.

[Selatius]

111. Be that as it may, my sympathies are with the workers if working conditions were that terrible.

My hope is the owner at least listens to the new workers if they have the same demands over wages and working conditions the previous batch of workers did, and may the fired workers find union jobs. It's a union town, I'm sure that workplace will become unionized quickly now that news of the mass firings quickly got around to all the labor unions in that city.

[CreekDog]

117. collective bargaining is the law in a unionized workplace Mister.

and a change in working conditions requires negotiation with representatives of the bargaining unit.

but never once did i hear in any of your posts any knowledge of, nor respect for the law that governs these matters.

[hack89]

119. So their union representatives are helping them?

what union did they belong to?

[lonestarnot]

172. Or they realized what a shit stain they slaved under and decided no job was better than that one.

[AngryAmish]

202. Except the National labor Relations Act

THe employees have a right to strike, the employer has a right to permanently replace. But if strike is over then owner has to accept old employees back as vacancies become available.

Look up "protected concerted activities".

[Lost-in-FL]

118. This has nothing to do with your family's business.

You think regular folks do not work hard but only managers and owners do? You do not think workers put their heart and soul in what they do? I work with lots of people that give it all and they do not own a business. I also work with mediocre people and know plenty of mediocre managers.

I am hoping in the future to have my own business but I can guarantee that my employees would NOT have to walk out on me. I would do everything in my power to avoid getting to that point and the first step to do that is by having a good relationship with my employees. You cannot just take care of your customers alone, you have to be willing to work with your crew.

I tell you what, anyone that have ALL of their employees AT ONCE walk out on them is a very stupid "blood sucking leach", either that or a cruel SOB that did not get his hands dirty with their crew. Walking out of the job is disrespectful, but for everyone to do exactly so in the mittle of a busy restaurant means that the owner was not worth their respect.

[closeupready]

200. Claudia, welcome to DU - you are my new favorite poster here!

+1000 :hi:

[RetroLounge]

91. Why, yes, you do...

:rofl:

RL

[CreekDog]

116. yes you do have that outlook --i reference the things you say to me in the gun forum

i encourage people to look at those.

[Ignis]

102. Bwah-hah-hah! Oh man, the "just plain small biz folks" meme rears its ugly head.

[hack89]

106. Versus the "all management is evil" meme? nt

[Ignis]

109. No, just this management. Put your broad brush away.

The Left supports the rights of workers to organize and protest unfair working conditions. This is not a frill or a new concept; this is foundational to Leftish politics.

[hack89]

110. So you put no bounds on those protests?

they deliberately tried to maximize the economic damage to the business - if you are going to play hardball then you need to be smart as well as tough. They were not smart.

[Claudia Jones]

112. that appears to be your job

You seem to have "putting bounds" on labor well in hand.

[hack89]

114. Yes - it is incredible the power I hold as an anonymous poster on the intertubes! nt

[Ignis]

201. Of course they did. That's the point of a strike/walkout.

Who's going to care if the kitchen staff walks out on a Tuesday lunch?

[Fool Count]

215. Average folks don't net $40k a day, they make that much in a year.

Trying to make a living my ass. What a joke.

[CreekDog]

115. some day i'd love to see you post an actual liberal thought or position

...on anything.

or maybe you simply are a conservative...democrat. :shrug:

[CreekDog]

122. you think the owner is entitled to his 40k of earnings before he's earned them

you have sympathy, even though he/she is the boss and it's their job to gather and keep the staff that produces the product.

but you don't care about all that.

i'm surprised you aren't advocating that the workers get sued and have to pay him for the 40k in "losses" that the owner suffered. but you probably won't go that far, because you and I know that is probably where your leash here would end.

but from your posts in this thread, i'll bet you think legal action against the workers is legally and *morally* justified on the part of the owner.

because you believe those "potential" earnings were the owner's before he/she has even made them. why? because you keep suggesting that the workers have taken something from the owner --something that actually never existed, something that needed to be created but was not on that night.

[hack89]

132. And why was it not created?

because a bunch of people decided to walk away from their jobs.

The workers have suffered enough - they need to move on to work places that suit them better. They learned a hard lesson as it was - I am sure next time they will be smarter.

[Starry Messenger]

155. +++

Great post. :thumbsup:

[CreekDog]

52. they weren't trying to get a few more pennies --they were trying to stop the givebacks

reductions in their compensation.

[Lost-in-FL]

59. Thanks for clarifying

However, I was talking in a general sense, when they ask employees to do much more while getting much lesser compensation.

[alarimer]

83. Any owner that loses and entire staff must be truly shitty.

I hope it goes under.

[Lost-in-FL]

92. +1,nt

[hack89]

108. I see your point - SF can afford to lose an employer or two. nt

[amborin]

196. "start over w/ a new staff that....accepts.... the new reality" ... corvee labor? serfdom?

[CreekDog]

51. another Republican talking point?

really?

[hack89]

67. I like you - you're funny!!. nt

[RetroLounge]

93. He is. You're not.

:eyes:

RL

[hack89]

94. Don't worry - I like you too. nt

[RetroLounge]

158. "Like?"

:rofl:

RL

[hack89]

162. Yes - DU has always been a warm and welcoming place. Don't you agree? nt

[RetroLounge]

163. Agree?

:rofl:

RL

[hack89]

165. You seem in a happy mood so I will take that as a yes. nt

[RetroLounge]

193. Happy? Yes?

:rofl:

RL

[hack89]

194. I always like the questioning type - keeps the brain from calcifying. nt

[CreekDog]

113. It's clear you think the owners were entitled to make 40k that night

even though the assumption rests on having the staff and resources to put out a product that earns you 40k. but management screwed that up.

and the losses? that's not the staff's fault. the potential earnings were dependent upon management keeping the folks producing the product that brings in 40k in a night.

management failed and screwed that up, screwed up so badly, their entire staff bolted --that's huge.

but again, no amount of reasoning can dislodge you from your stated position of blaming the workers for this, for 40k of "losses".

your bias is so painfully transparent, it's embarrassing.

[AsahinaKimi]

10. I am wondering where the Union was? Local 2

I had thought most restaurants in San Francisco had union workers. I am guessing, thanks to Republican tactics, owners now don't have to worry about them anymore. With jobs being scarce, they can replace a staff in no time, and those people won't complain, about how badly they are being screwed.

[Lost-in-FL]

48. I wouldn't think they would be unionized.

Especially when they were fired like that.

[AsahinaKimi]

50. Local 2 was mentioned in the Chronicle

SO, I would really like to know. Maybe some of my fellow San Franciscans can tell me more about the local unions here and who represents the restaurant workers. Seems like a few years ago, when I as job hunting, people always asked me if I was in a Union. SF is a Union town. So.. where are they?

Hope someone can clear this up for me.

[Cid_B]

17. Dunno.. if I screwed my boss and left at the busiest time of day...

... I would expect to be fired as well. Not that surprising really...

[MadHound]

20. Ah, so you think workers should just roll over and take whatever the boss hands down,

Longer hours, more work, whatever.

[Cid_B]

23. I think they should pick a solution that results in them...

... gaining what they want.

Now they have nothing... Great plan geniuses...

[Lost-in-FL]

27. What made you think that they did not attempt other means?

But of course, our society has been "contaminated" with the thought that those who have the means can and should treat others less humanly or "punish" others for not taking the abuse.

[Cid_B]

28. If I am disarming a bomb...

... the only action that really counts is the one that sets it off in my face. A stupid mistake is a stupid mistake.

[Lost-in-FL]

30. It will cost the owner more in the end, to hire new staff and get them trained.

So I am sure he learned his lesson well... or not.

Maybe next time he would hire "undocumented workers" willing to take a beating and keeping it quiet.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

49. You never know... had he kept the same wait staff

He may have set himself up for future walk-outs or other costly acts of displeasure/demand. I'm willing to bet the new staff is going to be ALOT more obedient. Hell, the GM just got done fired EVERYBODY!

I think in the short term, it will definately cost him more to train more cooks/chefs (servers, bussboys, and hosts/hostesses require very little training). But in the long term, especially considering he can start out paying them all entry wage, it may pay off.

[CreekDog]

57. not if word gets around

being anti union will not cost you all your business in SF.

but it will cost you some --and a coordinated campaign to remind people will cost even more.

but hey, if the owner is so brilliant, he/she will make all that up. however, for the moment, their profits are down and their reputation is down. so all that effort will be to first get back to what they were a week ago.

smart manager? nobody can honestly say that right now.

[alarimer]

84. I hope he goes bankrupt.

Any management that causes the entire kitchen staff to leave, knowing they would lose their jobs, has to be truly horrible.

[hack89]

89. What's a few more unemployed people as long as you can make a point? nt

[CreekDog]

120. sounds like a poorly operated business

run so badly that they go from making 40k per shift to nothing in just minutes.

[hack89]

123. Looks like a poorly operated strike

to go from a job to nothing in just minutes.

[CreekDog]

124. see, you want to win this argument and your side of the argument is that these workers suck

and that management is the sympathetic party here.

anti-labor and anti-Democratic positions if there ever were any.

[hack89]

126. No - I am pointing out they made a serious mistake by striking

the world is tough on stupid people.

[CreekDog]

127. YOU JUST CALLED THE WORKERS "STUPID"

while arguing that you weren't calling them these things.

one of the most unimpressive posters here, ever.

:wtf:

[hack89]

128. People that make stupid mistakes are stupid

people that make smart choices are smart. Workers can be either based on their actions.

[CreekDog]

130. there's that word again --you think the workers are stupid --all of them

you've called them stupid 3 times in 2 posts.

anti worker, plain and simple.

[hack89]

134. You are trying way too hard. Take a breather and read what I actually said. nt

[Kingofalldems]

135. Oops. Not another one.

Democrats don't trash workers.

[hack89]

137. When they make boneheaded mistakes we do.

Please don't tell me how to be a Democrat - I have been one for 32 years and I think I have a good handle on what it takes.

[CreekDog]

139. Who did you vote for in the last Senate race in your state?

just wondering.

[hack89]

143. Jack Reed - great man. nt

[Kingofalldems]

141. What do you mean 'we'?

Apparently we means you.

[hack89]

144. And others.. nt

[Lost-in-FL]

147. ... Excluding you. nt

[hack89]

148. Try again for comprehension this time. nt

[Lost-in-FL]

150. You mean the capacity you don't have? nt

[MilesColtrane]

170. No, you really don't.

[hack89]

192. Keep believing that if it makes you feel better. nt

[comtec]

206. lemmie guess... you voted for ray gun?

and bush I and bush II, but you're still registered as a dem right?
You don't seem like one.
Blue dog much?
better yet... there's the door. have a good life, don't bother us again!
k thx bye

[Gormy Cuss]

151. In this town? Most of them probably have jobs by now.

To do it on a very busy night is like a thumbing of their noses at the new management.
I have no doubt that every single one of them knew there was a high risk of being fired for that walkout.

[hack89]

160. So what's all the fuss about then? nt

[Gormy Cuss]

175. As it says in the OP article, the fuss is about the employer changing the terms of employment

and the employees saying no thanks -- and in a way that suggests they had tried the new rules before throwing up their hands and quitting. There are lessons there for both employers and employees.

[Lost-in-FL]

25. These are the same people that complaint about "illegals" taking their jobs.

No shit!! Because they promote this behavior that it is ok to hire cheap labor and send our jobs overseas. That very sentiment is what is allowing "employees" to be treated as commodity, not human beings.

[Lost-in-FL]

22. So, would you rather have them "screw" the employees?

Somehow the word "empathy" left the equation long ago.

[CreekDog]

56. Empathy? No, some members don't have any of that

Sorry. :shrug:

[Lost-in-FL]

129. I think it is now part of society.

It explains the state of health care, economy, making the government dysfunctional and assholes protecting corporations.

[Claudia Jones]

62. why are you siding with management?

Why aren't you scolding management for their "stupid mistake?"

[Ignis]

103. So you don't support union strikes, either?

Ronald Fucking Reagan had a brilliant solution for dealing with striking FAA workers, too.

[Xithras]

153. I suspect that they DID expect to be fired.

From what I've read elsewhere, the staff were fed up and were ready to quit anyway. They simply staged it this way to have the maximum impact.

This wasn't a strike so much as it was a mass resignation accompanied by a great, big middle finger.

Good for them.

[lonestarnot]

173. Ugh if you left you fucking quit.

[Incitatus]

58. That is interesting.

With just the info in the article, I think I would be on the workers' side. For the entire staff to walk out on their jobs, the owner must have been a major asshole.

[amborin]

197. replaced? like the UAW strike against Caterpillar Corp, which hired replacements, thnks to Bush, Sr

[dkf]

9. The dispute as reported...

group of cooks was trying to negotiate with management after some cost-saving changes - longer shifts, a new menu - were implemented.

[AsahinaKimi]

19. On the kitchen walk-out at Castagnola’s

Perched on the main drag of Fisherman’s Wharf, Castagnola’s is not a small restaurant. And this past weekend, the swan song of the summer tourist season, was a busy one — possibly the busiest of the year.

So, the headline item in this week’s column is the story of turmoil at the the 95-year-old Wharf anchor More specifically, it’s how a labor dispute prompted the kitchen staff to walk out on Saturday night at 7:30, shutting down the restaurant for the night and showing the door to roughly 200 diners. Castagnola’s management estimates losses that night at $30K-$40K.

According to the restaurant, the main points of contention were all recently implemented cost-saving measures, which to be fair, will upset workers: increased hours (a shift change from six hours to eight hours, albeit reportedly with the same rate), a new menu, new management (the restaurant is under the same owners, but a new GM and assistant GM were brought in three weeks ago), and so on. Many of the cooks had been at the restaurant for over a year.

And of course, lurking between the lines and beneath the surface (mixed metaphors!) is the illegal immigrant labor issue. Word on the street is that there have been increased government sweeps of local restaurant kitchens lately, and well, that’s a tricky topic that we’re not even going to tackle here.

more..
http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2011/09/08/on-the-kitchen-walk-out-at-castagnolas/

[ontime1969]

107. some things fishy here

lol are you guys kidding me. Almost everyone in this thread said the food sucked, so what owner would not hire a new GM and get a new menu. Would any of you continue to serve crap food? So now the workers making that shitty food, that none of you like, don't want to work an extra 2 hours or deal with new GM's that haven't been there even a month. What professional chefs they cant learn a new menu. They sound like lazy ass workers to me.

To top it off, the article just above describes.. "many of the cooks had been at the restaurant for over a year". Wow so how long have the others been there? A couple of months? The way I read that is basically cooks with a poor work history, who are not professional to learn a new menu, refuse to do 2 extra hours of prep work and cant adapt to change. Good Riddance maybe now the shitty food you all are complaining about will get better. Imagine that.

[Name removed]

142. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[comtec]

207. Oh course not, he's just some rw troll... feed him a pizza and send him on his way

i admit to being surprised how many people assume it was the workers being lazy, and NOT management hiring some complete assholes that DROVE the staff off.
Trust me, as a former food worker, you'll put up with a GREAT DEAL before quitting... the management must have been epic in their assholeness

[Angry Dragon]

219. ..................

:thumbsdown:


:popcorn:

[onethatcares]

34. implementing cost saving procedures is gonna piss some folks off

ain't nothing like taking a job and three months later being told your pay rate is going down and you have to work more hours to make it.

I'm sure the new GM and his buddy get a slice of the cost cutting measure pie

[dtexdem]

39. On Fisherman's Wharf? I wouldn't eat there anyway.

Pay a tourist-trap premium for what's likely to be inferior cuisine -- no.

But this IS a reason to help with picketing if the real kitchen staff pickets.

[comtec]

208. HOW do you loose money on fisherman's warf?!

You can serve spiced pieces of DOG SHIT and STILL make money!!!

[RevStPatrick]

43. I've never been to Castagnola's...

Only Alioto's.
How do they compare?

Musee Mecanique is probably my favorite place on the planet, and has been since I was a child when it was still under the Cliff House.

[era veteran]

46. Welcome to the service economy.

Never been there but my protégée worked as a chef on the Wharf and she had good and bad experiences. Restaurant people get screwed over everywhere.
Illegals are heavy in the industry and are great employees. We have 8 or so guys with papers that are good enough to fill out an I-9.

Good luck to the staff that walked. BTW I am a working manager in the business and my staff knows that I will do anything and they will do anything for me. Rare

[CreekDog]

55. The anti-labor posters have really swarmed on this thread

:wtf:

[Lost-in-FL]

61. +1, nt

[Claudia Jones]

69. good work

Thanks for taking them on. The union bashing around here is over the top.

[mitchtv]

80. what he says

late to the party.

[Starry Messenger]

97. Ignore keeps me sane.

Lots of people here think that owning a business makes you a superior human being.

[CreekDog]

121. to really make it in the Republican party, you have to have run a business

ideally, into the ground. :dilemma:

[Ignis]

104. It's ridiculous to see this kind of anti-worker BS on a Leftish board.

But here we are.

[Odin2005]

136. Paid DLC hacks, I'm sure.

[hack89]

149. No - we do it for free. nt

[Change has come]

167. But not very well.

Poorly even.

[hack89]

195. We try our best. nt

[Kingofalldems]

138. Anyone who doesn't support workers is not a Democrat

He/she would be classified as a republican.

[AsahinaKimi]

154. +1

agree!

[JoeyT]

199. Because it's a family run business.

We all know http://www.kochind.com/">family run businesses are the backbone of society and as such can do no wrong.

Edited to add: That blue link goes to Koch Industries website because family run businesses are just full of awesome.

[xchrom]

73. Worst cioppino I ever had on that place.

Sorry about what happened to those workers - 'tourist traps' in SF weren't always bad when they were highly unionized.

[fishwax]

81. i wish them luck finding new positions

and hope that diners pursue other options.

[Lucian]

85. That is the ultimate F-U to the bosses.

I love it. I'm glad they stood up for their principles. And I support the (former) employees.

[mwooldri]

96. I wonder if Gordon Ramsay will be called to "save" this restaurant. nt

[Lost-in-FL]

125. Make you wonder. Ramsey has a temper but he sure have people willing to work for him.

That is because "he has been in their shoes" and knows the business. Many managers working in mediocre restaurants have never been in a kitchen.

[TK421]

174. either that or he'll kill them all with his profanity!

:D "Where the FUCK do you FUCKERS THINK you're FUCKING GOING"?!!

"DON'T FUCKING WALK AWAY FROM ME, YOU FUCKING SHITSTAINS"!!

"You ASSHOLES CALL THIS FUCKING GRUEL FOOD"?! YOU OUGHT TO JUST SHIT ON A PLATE AND CALL IT THE CHEF SPECIAL"!!

Seriously, though..he could whip them into shape! ;-)

[Lost-in-FL]

183. ...

:rofl:

[TK421]

186. eh..if I made at least one person laugh then I know I did my job!

thank you! I'm here, uh...just about every night

[SwampG8r]

188. i would kill to

work with ramsey
what you have been shown on tv is a shell
he is a great cook
he makes me ashamed of the paltry skills i prostitute

[comtec]

209. TOTALLY AGREE!!!

After watching more of his BBC shows, you really see how much he CARES about cooking.
His profanity is NORMAL in Brittan... over there it's like "h um.. ahh" it's just what they say XD
Believe me the brits are seriously foul mouthed, but also educated.

I would KILL to even be in a position to be yelled at by Ramsey, even more so to work under him.

OH FYI, in his show Kitchen Nightmares, he has actually stolen staff who have quit/been sacked. He knows a quality chef, and can see a person's potential.

However keep in mind, Chef Ramsey would point out to you that if you make it with heart, even a limited repitwa is ok if it's tasty.

[Xithras]

131. This will be an easy boycott. Castagnola's is crap anyway.

Overpriced, low quality food. I can spend half as much money and get twice the quality by driving two blocks.

Their managers should read their Yelp reviews and take it to heart. Instead of "cutting costs" to deal with their fall off in business, how about increasing the quality of the product and reducing prices? Instead of punishing your staff, how about making an effort to PLEASE YOUR CUSTOMERS?


If you're going to eat in an overpriced tourist trap, at least go to the Beach Chalet. You'll get the same middling-quality food at astronomical prices, but at least you'll have a nice view of the ocean while you eat it.

[AsahinaKimi]

140. I prefer Scoma's

one of the best seafood Restaurants I have found at the Wharf.



My other choice is at Pier 39. Neptune's Seafood Restaurant

[Xithras]

157. I've heard that before.

I don't live in SF, but I'm there regularly and have been all my life (I've lived in the East Bay and Central Valley my entire life). I generally try to avoid Fishermans Wharf, but I've had a few people recommend Scoma's (including SF residents, shockingly enough). If I ever find myself down there for any reason, I may give it a try.

Back in the dotcom days, I used to work at NBC Interactive, which was in the big brick building on the corner of Beach and Embarcadero, right across the street from Pier 39. Weaving our way through the touristy hordes, and keeping them out of our bathrooms, was a daily part of our lives. It's been over a decade, but when I'm in SF I STILL find myself avoiding that part of town :)

[AsahinaKimi]

159. There is one in Sausalito as well....

What a great way to spend the day by taking the ferry across to Sausalito and having a wonderful seafood dinner at Scoma's. I have been a SF Resident most of my life, and everyone I know has been there and loved it. I went once at lunch time and there was a 20 minute wait with people in a line outside.

I would imagine that the one in Sausalito may be a bit more quiet, then again, A lot of visitors to Sausalito every year!

[comtec]

211. Have you been to Pier 23/29?

its been 12 years so I dont recall exactly which pier they're at.
amazing food! IIRC they got on Diner Drive-ins and Dives
spendy, but the most amazing seafood salad i've ever had!

[joshcryer]

146. Holy fucking shit at the people chiming in against a good old wildcat strike.

Holy.fucking.shit.

[Skittles]

224. you can bet those people benefit from good old exploitation

[BlueCheese]

161. Based on the information posted...

... I don't see how anyone can come to a strong conclusion about which side is more correct here. It doesn't really say what the main areas of disagreement were.

[Major Hogwash]

164. Wow!! That's a spicy meatballa!! I scratched Castagnola off my bucket list!!

My trip to San Francisco looks to be a little less full of gas now!!

Thanks for the tip.

[AsahinaKimi]

166. If you come and like Seafood

May I suggest Scoma's. I personally think its one of San Francisco's better Seafood Restaurants. I used to go there for my birthday to have Lobster and Crab combo. I also love their steamed clams, raw oysters and garlic Shrimp scampi!

[Major Hogwash]

220. Wow, thanks for the advice.

Man, that looks good.
I feel really bad about those guys that had to walk out at Castagnola's.

[SwampG8r]

176. dont boycott them

i am in restaurant business for 36 years and i would have fired them all too
after a walkout there is no coming back
too many people depend on you for you to unilaterally decide to shut a place down.
kitchen staff walks everyone else takes a loss
except for kitchen staff almost every person in a restaurant is a private contractor
only kitchen staff walks in knowing what they will make
everyone else will depend on their own work and high quality food to make their money
by walking out they cost many people on the edge a lot of cash
i myself would not have ever let any one of them return to my line after pulling some rank amateur bull like that

i should also say that restaurant community is like an extended family and what they did hurt their brothers and sisters

[Name removed]

185. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SwampG8r]

187. make sure the

busboys and hostesses and the waiters and waitresses all know why they cant feed their kids this week
make sure you tell them what scabs they are and union busters

[Luminous Animal]

189. We will. Stand together or fall together. San Francisans don't appreciate

outside agitators pitting workers against workers. Keep your union busting activities in your own town.

[SwampG8r]

190. mmmkay

when that place closes and no one has a job you will be fed by the righteousness of your solidarity

[Luminous Animal]

191. They feed prisoners and slaves, too.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1905592

[JVS]

203. If they serve such a vital function, then maybe they should have been treated better.

[Xithras]

205. FYI, that's not the case in California.

I realize that most states abide by the federal law stating that tipped employees don't have to be paid minimum wage, but California does NOT follow the federal standard. In the state of California, ALL restaurant staff must be paid the current state minimum wage of $8 an hour. If they are working on a fixed schedule set by the employer, they also can't be hired as contractors and must be treated as full employees. In San Francisco, they must be paid the city minimum wage of $9.92 an hour.

They certainly cost the other employees some money, which is unfortunate, but it's not quite as bad as you make out. California law ALSO requires employers to pay their employees for at least HALF of their scheduled hours if their shift is canceled without warning. Even though the restaurant owner closed his doors and sent the rest of his waitstaff home, he's still required to pay them for at least four hours of work (or 50% of their remaining shift...if they were 2 hours into an 8 hour shift, he has to pay them for 5 hours). They will get some money.

[AsahinaKimi]

210. "They will get some money."

I am very glad to hear that. I recall, when our company went out of business, (And it was like two days before Xmas)that our employer could only give us half a pay check. It was fortunate, that some locals heard about it, and one woman came in and gave us each 100 dollars a piece. Without that, I don't think we would have had a very good holiday, plus since January 1st was around the corner, rent would soon be due. That 100 helped put some food on the table, and allowed me time to get unemployment insurance. It was February that I got a job, and my boss had heard that I was with the company that went belly up. Every where I went, at the time, people knew about our company in Santa Barbara, and felt bad that we lost our jobs at the holidays.

[comtec]

213. Something that sucks about CA unemployment is the 4 week wait

When I was working you basically lost the first 2-4 weeks of unemployment benefits.
but they're decent benefits. Just too bad that i'm IT, I didn't qualify for any re-training programs after the net bubble exploded. so I have no ability to go back to school to learn a new profession.

[SwampG8r]

216. i did not know that about california labor law

so thanks i like to learn something new every day and you just helped me toward that goal
i would love to see 6 mons of P&L sheets on this place...hell any successful california place to see how they do it at those pay scales
in florida if you are a skilled cook you make the money
in our kitchen i make less than chef but more than the other cooks
do you know if the california dept of labor has these stats (average pay by job)online?
i know it sounds wonky but this is the stuff i sink my teeth into
i have a feeling a lot of the people responding here have never spent much time over a stove




eta;thanks for the snarkless response it isnt often on DU you see one nowadays and you were more informative than all the labor poseurs on here combined.

[Xithras]

221. Yes, these are some of those "anti-business regulations" that California Rethugs whine about.

I call them "Common Sense Laws That Keep Employers From Screwing Employees".

I don't know if the state keeps the numbers online, but most restaurants in California do just fine. It simply requires that the owners manage their employees time a little better (no over-scheduling), and keep closer track of typical customer cycles in order to better match their scheduling to their actual needs.

But most restaurant owners simply adapt by raising prices. If you know you'll have fixed staffing expenses, you just build that into your pricing. California restaurants DO tend to be a little more expensive than restaurants in other states, but that hasn't stopped people from going out.

OTOH, while the base pay is better, most waiters who have worked back east tend to complain that Californian's are among the worst tippers. Whereas people back east KNOW that their waiters livelihood is dependent on their tips, Californian's are generally aware that our servers are actually receiving paychecks, and that has resulted in a culture that tips less. We still tip, but I recall reading somewhere that the average tip in California is 10% in run of the mill restaurants, and about 15% in nicer restaurants. That's a bit lower than the national averages, which are in the 15% to 25% range.

[SwampG8r]

222. i went and looked

google was my friend
there is a veritable wealth of data and now i must mine it
interesting about the tipping i am actually surprised it isnt a lower number
very informative again and again i thank you

and for what it is worth if we keep chatting with civility in GD we will both be banned for odd behavior

[comtec]

212. I don't think anyone here is saying they should have jobs AFTER walking... but WHY did they walk?

THAT to me is the most important question really.
WHAT would possibly have been so bad at that place that caused them all to walk at once.
as a restaurant owner surely you must understand the issue at hand.
it's not that they walked, it's WHY did they walk?

Honestly, if it were me, i would have no delusions of having a job at that place after walking... but i can tell you that I can take a epic amount of bullshit. That if I walked it would be for a DAMNED GOOD reason!

I seriously doubt that you are the kind of owner who would cause this kind of action.
You strike me as someone who actually talked to his employees, but... who knows!

[SwampG8r]

218. i am not an owner

i may have sounded like one because for over 35 years i have mostly worked with small mom and pop places where the margin never allows for bullshit but the food is oh so awesome and i can see the point of the owner.i may not always agree with his view but i understand that he is in it alone,he is the only one who will lose his house if we go under,the only one who wont get paid if we dont sell,his name everyday is on that sign not mine,his face is our face not mine.when prices go up on items and we lose the slender profit we were making he cant reprint his menus to reflect that he has to absorb it.
who i am mostly now is educator.we will hire a high school kid who has never done this before and in 2 weeks i will have him debating parsleys and making burre blancs.you are correct i do talk to the employees constantly because we cannot afford to allow dramas to build.i love the tribe and i respect it. we are not like the other humans and we have to stick together.
this would not have happened in my kitchen.my kitchen is the only place on the face of gods earth where i truely feel comfortable and....home...thats the only feeling that is equal
when you go home after a hard time.... that is what going into a kitchen is to me.

[Enrique]

180. theyre my heroes

they made things better for other workers. That restaurant and other restaurants will think twice before squeezing their staff, which is what this restaurant apparently did.

Yes, they will suffer for their actions, but thats what heroes do.

:toast:

[JDPriestly]

182. Very, very famous restaurant. Just read a book in which the

author referred to it. What a coincidence. I will not go to that restaurant if I go to San Francisco. Thanks to the coincidence I will remember this.

[JVS]

184. So, were those cost saving measures worth $40K?

[KamaAina]

204. The S.F. way would be for the workers to band together and open their own place down the street

the "House of Cioppino" or some such.