WORKERS FILE WAGE COMPLAINTS AGAINST ESPAÑOLA RESTAURANT CLAIM ANGELINA'S OWES $12,000 IN UNPAID WAGES AND OVERTIME

January 12, 2021

Española, NM--On Tuesday, five former employees of Angelina’s Restaurant in Española filed wage complaints with the Department of Workforce Solutions claiming they are collectively owed a little over $12,000 for work performed during the month prior to the restaurant’s high profile closure on November 13th.

After several attempts to obtain their unpaid wages and overtime, as well as two bounced checks issued by their employer, the workers organized a committee with the help of worker’s rights organization Somos Un Pueblo Unido to recoup their money. The workers are: Alejandra Fuentes, Enrique Moreno, Simona de la Garza, Estela Holguina, and Ricardo Villarreal. On December 15th, they delivered a letter to their manager Zeveriano Gutierrez and owners Fidel and Angelina Gutierrez requesting their paychecks. They still have not received payment.

Estela Holguin, a cook who worked at Angelina’s for 20 years, said: "I trusted I would eventually receive my check. Instead, I was let go without even a day's notice and I was never paid. I depended on my job to send money to Mexico to cover my father's full-time nurse. It has been devastating financially and emotionally for me."

Alejandra Fuentes said on Tuesday, "I suffer from high blood pressure and need to go to the doctor frequently and also take medication. When I stopped getting paid, I had to rely on my children financially. We have been patient with our employer, and we tried to work it out. We hope the State does a quick and fair investigation so we can get paid.”

Angelina’s Restaurant was a recipient of $7,500 from the City of Española and Rio Arriba County CARES Act Small Business Continuity Grant in December, as well as federal loans through the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program. It is unclear if the restaurant also benefited from COVID-19-related loans from the State of New Mexico.

“As the Legislature contemplates additional pandemic relief for businesses in the upcoming session, it is critical that worker’s needs are also taken into account,” said Elsa López, community organizer with Somos Un Pueblo Unido. “Businesses are having a hard time, but workers are bearing the brunt. Workers need to know the pandemic doesn’t mean employers can get away with violating their rights.”

Enrique Moreno, who worked at Angelina's for 16 years, said:

 "When I showed up to work on the last day and saw everything locked up, I still trusted I would get paid. It has been two months now, and the manager has stopped answering my calls and texts. I am now two months late in my rent and gas bills."

For copies of the wage complaints, please contact Elsa López.

For copy of letter sent to employer by workers, click here.

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Somos Un Pueblo Unido is a statewide immigrant-based civil and workers' rights organization with membership teams in eight counties and offices in Santa Fe, Hobbs and Roswell. Somos Española is its membership team in Rio Arriba County.