FORMER EMPLOYEES OF PARLOR PIZZA
SAY THEY WERE FORCED TO WORK
OVERTIME WITHOUT PAY AND
CUSTOMERS OF COLOR WERE SEATED
IN THE BACK OF THE RESTAURANT IN
THE REJECTION SECTION.
IT IS UNDER CITY INVESTIGATION
AFTER BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO
REPORTED.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THIS IS
BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO REPORTER
QUINN MYERS.
WHO HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE STORY
SINCE HE FIRST HELPED BREAK NEWS
ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS.
WE DID REACH OUT TO PARLOR PIZZA
FOR A RESPONSE WHICH WE WILL
HEAR IN JUST A BIT.
QUINN MYERS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
WELCOME BACK.
TWO AGENCIES ARE LOOKING INTO
THE ALLEGATIONS.
WHICH ONES AND WHAT CAN YOU TELL
US ABOUT THEIR INVESTIGATION SO
FAR?
>> SURE.
THEY'VE JUST LAUNCHED THIS
INVESTIGATION THE BUSINESS
AFFAIRS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
AGENCY AT THE CITY OF CHICAGO
AND THE CHICAGO COMMISSION ON
HUMAN RELATIONS.
THE BACP IS LOOKING INTO
ALLEGATIONS THAT LABOR WAS
PERFORMED AT PARLOR AT THE
BEHEST OF MANAGEMENT AND THE
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RELATIONS IS
LOOKING INTO WHAT YOU REFERRED
TO AS THE ALLEGED REJECTION
SECTION THAT ALLEGEDLY CUSTOMERS
OF COLOR WERE SAT IN SPECIFIC
LOCATIONS AT PARLOR'S RESTAURANT
AT THE RIVER NORTH LOCATION.
THOSE TWO AGENCIES ARE
ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO REACH OUT
FORMER PARLOR EMPLOYEES AND
CUSTOMERS WHO BELIEVES THAT THEY
POSSIBLY WERE DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST AT THESE RESTAURANTS AND
THAT'S ALL WE KNOW ABOUT THE
INVESTIGATION SO FAR.
>> AND QUINN, YOU WRITE ABOUT
HARASSMENT AND WE MENTIONED
OVERTIME WITHOUT PAY.
DESCRIBE SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS
FROM THE FORMER EMPLOYEES FOR
US?
>> SURE, WE SPOKE TO SEVERAL
FORMER PARLOR EMPLOYEES WHO
TALKED ABOUT THE REJECTION
SECTION ALLEGEDLY THIS WAS A
SPECIFIC LOCATION IN THE RIVER
NORTH RESTAURANT WHERE PEOPLE OF
COLOR WERE SAT LESS VISIBLE
LOCATION AND WE HEARD ABOUT
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND A CULTURE
OF RETALIATION WHERE IF
SPECIFICALLY FEMALE SERVERS DID
NOT LOOK A CERTAIN WAY OR UP TO
STANDARDS THEY COULD NOT BE
SCHEDULED THE NEXT WEEK OR
SCHEDULED BUT ONLY IN A CERTAIN
SECTIONS THAT WERE NOT AS
PROFITABLE.
WE HEARD ABOUT ALLEGATIONS THAT
AFTER SERVERS WORKED A FULL
SHIFT THEY WOULD HAVE TO CLOCK
OUT AND ROLL SILVERWARE UNPAID
AND WE HEARD FROM EMPLOYEES THAT
THEY SAY THEY HAD TO WORK MANY
DOUBLES IN A ROW AS MANY AS 11
DOUBLES IN A ROW.
AND AGAIN, PARLOR DENIED ALL OF
THE ALLEGATIONS AND SAID THEY
ARE NOT TRUE.
>> SPEAKING OF PARLOR WE WERE
ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE NEW CHIEF
DIVERSITY OFFICER FORMER WVON
RADIO HOST MAYS JACKSON.
>> WE STRONGLY PUSHBACK AGAINST
OUR COMPANY BEING HAVING RACE --
BEING A RACIST COMPANY I WILL
TELL YOU WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT
SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN SO WHAT
WE WANT TO DO IS DO A SELF
EXAMINATION AND CHECK MAKE SURE
THAT OUR POLICIES, PROCESSES AND
PROCEDURES ARE IN PLACE TO
INSURE THAT NOTHING LIKE THIS IF
IT EVER WAS TO HAPPEN, DOESN'T
HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> AND QUINN WE DON'T HAVE A LOT
OF TIME BUT YOU SPOKE TO A
MANAGER WHAT WAS HER RESPONSE?
>> SURE.
WE SPOKE TO TANYA, THE GENERAL
MANAGER AT WICKER PARK AND SHE
SAID WHAT MAYS IS SAYING THAT
THERE'S NO TRUTH TO THE
ALLEGATIONS AND THAT SHE AS A
WOMAN OF COLOR WOULD NOT HAVE
TOLERATED THAT AND SAID THERE
WAS ONE ALLEGATION WHERE FORMER
SERVERS SAID THAT MANAGEMENT
OFTEN KEPT COVID CASES HUSH HUSH
THAT IF SOMEONE TESTED POSITIVE
FOR COVID THEY WOULD HAVE TO
FIND OUT FROM THEIR FELLOW STAFF
MEMBERS THEY DID NOT HEAR FROM
MANAGEMENT.
PARLOR PUSHED BACK ON THAT AND
TANYA SAID THAT WASN'T TRUE THEY
NOTIFIED STAFF MEMBERS IF THEY
HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID.
>> IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHAT