Collegeville Restaurant Didn't Pay Wages, Broke Child Labor Laws: Feds

COLLEGEVILLE, PA — A Collegeville restaurant owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to its employees after federal investigators said they did not pay their employees, had underaged children working on dangerous equipment, and fired employees who complained about unfair treatments.

Vincent’s Pizzeria and Grill, located on 500 Gravel Pike, must pay $268,660 in back wages and damages, the U.S. Department of Labor ruled this week.

“We will hold employers legally accountable when they fail to comply with federal laws that protect workers’ rights to their full wages and ensure young employees work during permitted hours in safe jobs,” Samantha Thomas, the DOL's Acting Regional Solicitor of Labor in Philadelphia, said in a statement.

Officials said restaurant owners George El Roueiheb and Vicken Mouchlin "willfully" violated the law by failing to pay kitchen workers time and a half when working over 40 hours a week. They also paid a cashier and delivery drivers separately in cash for their overtime work, but did not pay them the required overtime rate, and failed to keep records of who they paid in cash.

El Roueiheb and Mouchlin also fired three of their employees who spoke up about being cheated out of their wages, authorities said. The damages they must pay include $9,000 specifically to redress that retaliation.

The restaurant also had two teenagers, a 17-year-old and a 15-year-old operating meat slicers and a vertical dough mixer.

To report a violation of labor law, call the Wage and Hour Division at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).