Ontario restaurant accused of not paying employee wages

A Caribbean restaurant chain in Ontario is being accused of not paying its employees, with at least 12 workers claiming that they are owed over $94,000 in unpaid regular wages, overtime preminium pay, as well as public holiday and vacation pay. 

Sunrise One Caribbean Restaurant was first founded in 1995 as a 690-square-foot space on Kingston Road in Scarborough, and has since grown to include over 25 locations across the GTA. 

Last month, a video emerged of a protest outside of the chain’s location in Ajax, showing multiple people holding signs that claimed that the business had not been paying its employees. 

Since May, Toronto-based non-profit organization, The Workers’ Action Centre (WAC), has been advocating on behalf of the employees. In a letter obtained by blogTO, the organization alleges that the restaurant owes 12 workers $94,984.09 in unpaid wages, with individual amounts varying from $1,265 to $19,271.

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One employee, who worked as a cook and a server for three months at the beginning of 2024 alleged that he was not paid for all the shifts he worked. The letter alleges that while the employee earned a total of $16,445.31 in regular wages, overtime, public holiday and vacation pay, he is still owed over $12,000. 

The letter, which is addressed to the chain’s president, Lance Davenport, alleges that each worker was told that they would be paid $12 per hour, after which cheques were “bounced” or not delivered at all. 

Executive Director Deena Ladd wrote that the organization has attempted to reach Davenport on multiple occasions, although these efforts have been unsuccessful. 

“If you fail to do so we will have no choice but to assist these workers in taking further action against you to recover the amounts owed to them. Please note that each of the above workers may actually be entitled to more than the above amounts,” Ladd said. 

“Moreover, several workers were unlawfully reprised against, either by having their shifts cut or by being fired, when they asked about their right to be paid. Any worker who was punished for trying to enforce their ESA rights will also seek reprisal damages if we are unable to resolve this matter promptly.” 

blogTO has reached out to Sunrise One Caribbean Restaurant for comment on these allegations.