Sacramento fast food workers allege civil rights violations. Here's what they say

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Five Latino workers have alleged civil rights violations against a Sacramento region Habit Burger & Grill, saying they faced racial discrimination, threats and verbal abuse from managers.

The workers filed the complaints Monday with the California Civil Rights Department. The allegations center around how managers treated Latino workers at The Habit Burger & Grill in Rancho Cordova.

The complaints say that for years superiors forbade Latino workers from speaking in Spanish, mocked those who spoke the language and segregated Latino workers in the back as cooks.

“Hopefully something can be done because it was terrible,” said Adelfa Cruz, a 49-year-old former worker. “The violence and racism were all terrible. I don’t need my job back but they should treat the others better.”

Cruz was among the five mostly monolingual Spanish speakers who filed the complaints. The workers say managers regularly used derogatory language toward them, sometimes applied physical contact if the Latino workers “weren’t moving fast enough,” and, at least one manager, threatened employees with their work authorization status.

“I feel liberated not being there,” said Cruz, who spent nearly a year and a half working in the kitchen of the restaurant.

There was also a lack of harassment or workers’ rights training, according to written copies of the charges reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. Following a one-day strike in August to protest the treatment of Latino workers, some workers said they’ve been given extra work and had their hours reduced.

In a written statement, Kathy Kwon, a spokeswoman for Habit Burger & Grill, said the company took the “matters seriously” and was looking into the report.

“At Habit Burger & Grill, we are committed to creating a positive and inclusive workplace where all employees feel supported and appreciated,” Kwon wrote.

A California Civil Rights Department representative will evaluate the allegations and determine if the complaints will be accepted for investigation, according to the agency’s website.

Cruz, a mother of two children, continues working part-time at a Chili’s Bar & Grill in the same shopping center as the Habit Burger & Grill. She calls her old and current workplaces completely different.

“They treat us with respect and kindness,” Cruz said.

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