a month at hollywood Life Food Organic 2010 new year

hollywood raw food shop---

my friend ### reported LFO still pays minimum wage and works people like slaves (his friends work there and he is a friend of jean louis, who on surface is super nice, but got really mean to me when i tried to suggest we follow the labor law and give breaks and pay overtime)

sketch report on the methadology.  annie jubb was was quite rude to me over my trying to defend the concept of breaks, overtime, and respecting the kitchen workers.

letter to investor and designer xavier llongueras who promised me 15$/hr and a managerial role:

my brother thought it would be a good idea to let you know about the shop.

i gave notice to annie on friday 1-22-10

several factors were at play---some of them personal and some related to the organization of the store.

i want you to know----and think it goes without saying bc i feel our connection is so intense---that i will always be a friend and feel very honored to know you and your family.

the situations regarding communication, management, organization could use oversight.

my attempts to help were met with disdain and chastisement and accusation.

nobody got paid for three weeks (me and jonathan)---actually closer to four given the second check coming on 1-22-09 (we started 12-28)--- and then two weeks (jose and effrain and laurel started a bit later) and then

annie wrote confusing checks saying 16.45 hours for 110$ and 25 hours for 120$

and with my best spanish i attempted to explain that we will

be paid in accordance with the law

and when i tried to help compile hours and overtime (keep in mind i have been studying labor law for years as well as business law) to be helpful

jl jumped my case and told me i'm not an accountant, there will be no overtime----

and annie blamed me for inciting anxiety---which was untrue---as everyone was worried about not getting paid and being underpaid and having hours cut off the check.

annie admitted to cutting hours off the second check for breaks we didn't take---so i think this is happening to other people as well---and i wish that she knew that this could cause severe penalties if she does not correct the figures. 

management must document and enforce all breaks.

the kitchen has been working with no breaks and working overtime.

her accountant told her to deduct for breaks.

this is effectively doctoring the books---to make it look like the company is in compliance with labor law.

this is not sufficient.

all the blogging work i did at home was obviously unappreciated as well.

i think 10/hr is not enough for me.  if you remember we discussed a more adequate wage as well as managerial role.  i think what they want is someone to do managerial things but not be paid at a managerial rate---but bc they get mad if i try to set up systems for labor law compliance, communication, proper regular payment and compliance with overtime law----this is obviously a waste of my intelligence.

if there is ever anything i can do for you let me know

and i hope your family in europe is at peace.

because you are invested in this project---my brother is right to suggest that i should let you know what is going on----

and by the way i think paying the spanish cooks 8/hr is racist.

jonathan told me they tried to pay him less than minimum wage last summer.

that's pretty scary.

i will pick up my final check tomorrow and hope annie can show my payroll documentation for where my tax withholdings have gone.

i have been paid 413$ so far on handwritten checks for 89 hours of work.

as you can imagine . . .this is not enough to live in LA or be drained of my spiritual energy.

the value of nutritional knowledge seems unnoticed as well.

sure they can get someone in for minimum wage---but will they be able to upsell large purchases of supplementation?  and navigate all the issues of allergies, veganfood, raw prep etc.

the public face of the business is very impt and that is why all workers should be treated well or the energy will be disrupted.

it is not fair trade.

if i am not properly paid for my final wages (within 72 hours of notice) i will have no problem seeking outside help and feel that it might be a great learning experience as to the particularities of CA labor law.  my knowledge is what would have made me an asset to the company, but being disrespected and having high turnover and underpaid employees speaks doom.

i almost know you would agree and feel that you might have been able to fix the many misunderstandings but i know your family needs you right now.

contact me if you ever need anything--or if you need help packing for europe---i would help you in any way i could

i offer this report in consideration of the humanity of the workers

in consideration of your investment

and to thank you for your good will

mary eng

1-24-10

morgue ambiance at great earth

from an old letter (08) to noah bubman at the original great earth in west hollywood, regarding the sale of meat:
i was very disappointed with the introduction of meat
into great earth bc it turned a very positive
workplace into a morgue and i have no desire to
perpetuate suffering of any kind, passively, tacitly,
or through indifference.
in the past, my own economic desperation has led me to
collude with barbarities which offend my conscience.
that is what exactly transpires at this time.
i feel as though a positive work environment,
overnight became negative, and i was expected to
maintain a cheerful demeanor based on falsity, and
lies.
that is why i continue to be aggrieved.
i realize we all have different perception regarding
ethics.
my past as a student of philosophy and as an activist
of many kinds is intrinsic to my development and
self-realization.
finding the proper avenue of expression is in itself
quite a conundrum.
i am not sure this is the best place to put my
energies.


and from another letter to his son:
hey noah---
what do you say you pull some clout and help get rid of the meat products in the case at Great Earth?

carcinogenic BBQ at new seasons in portland for CHAP

why would you cater carcinogenic heterocyclic amine filled beef for 

a healing arts project????????

why feed cancer producing food at a benefit for an arts foundation that helps kids with cancer????

so you can get more people sick?

dont you realize you are hurting Children's Healing Arts Project by making them look insensitive to animals, ignorant of 25 years of scientific study of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines, insensitive to exploited slaughterhouse laborers, and insensitive to humans who need positive role models of healthy nutrition?

when people without as much information see a great group like CHAP supporting the consumption of carcinogens at New Seasons, it could mislead them into thinking carcinogens can be consumed safely.

i think new seasons is criminal to poison the bodies of people this way 

and furthermore to poison their minds

and to the CHAP founder:

creatine in muscle tissue when heated to high temperatures create heterocyclic amines which are very well documented carcinogens.

so what is healing about carcinogenic "food" ?

i love the art though, i just dont think the artistic people should choose the slow suicide of carcinogenic cholesterol filled fake food

not to mention all the slaughterhouse karma and labor exploitation in the slaughterhouses

- Show quoted text -

hollywood fake-organic

i am terribly sorry to help you cut through the lies and deception.

the first time i heard of this, i was floored.

who would sell things as organic, but lie?

well.  i might wait a few days, until i am far from town, but i am just so sorry about every corporate deception.

i am also ashamed that as a low level low-pay worker, i kept a part of the conspiracy, because i needed my pay check.  but investigate.

ask to see the box.

it's not organic.

and the paychecks bounced.

the managers said creepy harassing things, and the more experienced women were kept out of management.

keep going, sure.  it's better than macdonalds.

but they violate the labor law too, just like le pain quotidien or whoever.

organic fair trade face, hides the slavery in the kitchen, the crudity, the insults, the broken laws.

realrawlive is a cute little place in hollywood.

the owner said i look like i have tourette's syndrome.  i guess that was his way of being mean.  or say the times he almost fired me for knowing the labor law, or complaining about customers who sexually harassed.

the wild voice mail berating a coworker was one of the wildest examples of self-incrimination i can imagine.  if you are going to verbally abuse someone, don't record it!

in my nihilism i can hardly find the energy to tell you: the fruit is not organic.  hasn't been for years.  i worked there for two years, and was terminated for getting the flu.

that is pretty illegal.
and pretty mean.

rick, the manager who always says gross stuff behind the counter, joked about a worker being a stripper. and ryan hogrefe made off-color comments about pole dancing, to employees, while on the clock, as "manager," while getting paid double what the normal slaves were paid.

i just thought you might want to look into it.  ask them to go organic, or stop false advertising.  its nice to try to do the eco thing, but when its fake, or involves labor abuse practices, it is pretty lame.

i worked there and loved the many wonderful customers.  but overall, it is pretty sad that a company would swing so much behind the scenes drama.

weird stuff like not paying overtime, or people who work off the clock.  or people getting fired because the office wasn't locked and the store got robbed.  punishing the lowest level for a security breach was not fair.
bounced paychecks, and hours left off paychecks week after week of underpay.

because i asked for lunch breaks i got my schedule trimmed down to four and five hour shifts.
so my income took a hit, because i dared attempt to defend my california labor law rights.  so lame.

just check it.  if you are running in for your awesome drink . . . i hope things are going better . . . . but i had to get this off my chest . . .