Daniel Boulud Settles Lawsuit

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Daniel Boulud agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging bias at his Restaurant Daniel. The New York Times reports: Along with an undisclosed financial settlement, Mr. Boulud agreed to set up standards and procedures for promotions, to be overseen by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the state attorney general’s office, according to lawyers for the plaintiffs and others involved in negotiations. Busboys and runners, who take dishes from the kitchen to the dining room, will get 8 percent raises, and managers will get training in racial sensitivity Other newspapers report that the financial settlement amounted to $80,000, or $10,000 per Latin American and Bangladeshi plaintiffs. What, if anything, is the lesson for New York fine dining restaurateurs and those elsewhere? Now, Daniel's settlement did not even make the EEOC press list -- when it comes to food, EEOC is more likely to take on hulks Tyson Foods or Denny's. Still, successful Super Chefs know that their own success depends on the people who work for them, including their accountants, sous chefs, managers, cooks and public relations assistants. That list now includes busboy, runners, dishwashers, and any other restaurant workers who learn about their rights under the law. Well funded organizations will protect the rights of restaurant workers, even the most lowly. Related news: Boston Globe, New York Magazine, News Day, New York Times, Telegraph (UK), New York Times Previous articles: Gordon Ramsay: Reality Lawsuit Celebrity Food Fight: Daniel Boulud Daniel Boulud v. Todd English: Initial Branding Daniel Boulud: Making It Big on Oprah's O Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Daniel Boulud --> back to superchefblog