Service Workers At Yankee Stadium Want Their Gratuities!

(ajent.msg's Flickr).

Yankee Stadium waiters, who deliver beer and gourmet grub to the stadium's expensive seats, are crying foul saying that a 20 percent gratuity that patrons are charged for food delivery never makes it to their pockets. So naturally they are suing. According to the suit the menus at each seat say that "a 20% service charge will be added to the listed prices. Additional gratuity is at your discretion," but employees never see an extra dime.

If the suit goes through, lawyer Brain Schaffer calculates that nearly 100 employees—who earn $35 a day, plus 6% of sales, or about $7,000 over the course of a six-month season—could make as much as $20,000 from the so-called service charges. The suit, however, does not specify a dollar amount in damages.

Worse (but not surprisingly), Legends Hospitality, the subject of the suit which is partially owned by the Yankees, apparently has a rule in which employees weren't even allowed to talk about the fee with customers. "The customer will frequently ask my clients where is the 20% charge going and they are told 'I can't tell you.'" Schaffer explained yesterday. "It always puts my clients in an awkward position."

Legends, for its part, denies any wrongdoing, telling the Post: "All of our employees are paid properly and in accordance with their union contract."

We thought that excessive gratuity suggestions that you could turn down (but at least knew are going to the right place) were bad, but excessive gratuities that don't even go to the workers you expect them to are really outrageous!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Garth Johnston in Food on May 10, 2011 6:58 PM

Comments [rss]

Politburo

There are certainly some frivolous lawsuits in this country, but I'm not sure this one warrants the comment "so naturally they are suing". It seems like a basic contract dispute, which is something the courts have handled since before the country was founded.

jaycjay

It's probably not a reflection of anyone's opinion about the validity of this particular suit. There's probably just a Gothamist policy that "so naturally they are suing" or something similar has to be used in every article about a lawsuit.

Seems that way, anyway.

Garth Johnston

Guilty as charged. "So naturally..." is one of those phrases I often fall back to without thinking (so naturally now that I've been called on it I will try very hard to kick the habit). In no way did I mean to imply this was a frivolous suit.

Trustafarian

---The Yankees, apparently has a rule in which employees weren't even allowed to talk about the fee with customers. "
The customer will frequently ask my clients where is the 20% charge going and they are told 'I can't tell you.'
"---

That's some bullshit. If I am told that a 20% charge is being added to my bill, I assume it is going to the person serving me. If it is going into the pocket of the stadium, why not just include it in the price of the items?

schmeep

...because then you just think you're being fucked in the mouth from the 300% mark up, not all potential orifices with the 20 percent of that terrific price.

Seriously, I'm furious. I will not order in those seats ever again, which of course will affect the workers. I'm going to send some nasty letters to the management as well for this bullshit.