Food Cart Workers Awarded $60,000 in Unpaid Wages

On July 14, 2014, a Manhattan judge awarded two street food cart vendors over $60,000 in unpaid wages, overtime, and penalties. The decision found that the vendors, represented by MFY Legal Services, had worked 12 hours per day, six days per week in all types of weather, including severe snow conditions. The vendors often received partial or no payment for their work, and never received legally required overtime pay. Contrary to the business owners’ claims that they were a “mom-and-pop establishment,” the judge found that they operated several food carts and employed numerous non-family members. The New York Law Journal featured the case and reported the decision.