Waiters say they were fired for being French

MSNBC ^ | June 21, 2005

[nickcarraway]

Posh N.Y. eatery alleges insubordination, drinking on the job

Three former waiters at New York’s posh 21 Club, where a hamburger costs $30, have filed a $5 million discrimination lawsuit saying they were fired for being French.

In a civil suit made public on Monday at Manhattan Supreme Court, the three men, Rene Bordet, 68, Jean Claude Lesbre, 63 and Yves Thepault, 68, said the restaurant’s management falsely accused them of drinking wine on the job and “created and fostered an environment rife with anti-French sentiment.”

Both Bordet and Lesbre worked for 10 years as waiters and floor captains before being fired in 2004 after accusations of drinking on the job. Thepault, who worked for 14 years as a waiter, was fired in 2005 for gross insubordination after an argument with a chef over a hamburger, court papers said.

The suit accused 21 Club of engaging in “a concerted and egregious course of action to rid (the restaurant) of its older and long-term employees of French national origin.”

Bordet and Lesbre deny they were drinking alcohol and said when another employee was caught drinking on the job, on four occasions, he was only given a one-week suspension.

[Yankereb]

That's close enough. Any language that has male and female words and no neuter isn't worth worrying about. Long live English.

[EdHallick]

[daku]

"In a civil suit made public on Monday at Manhattan Supreme Court, the three men, Rene Bordet, 68, Jean Claude Lesbre, 63 and Yves Thepault, 68, said the restaurant’s management falsely accused them of drinking wine on the job and “created and fostered an environment rife with anti-French sentiment.”"

mandatory deodorant

[skimbell]

"Waiters say they were fired for being French"

And...?

[nickcarraway]

It couldn't be ignored after they surrendered to a party of seven that became boisterous.

[EdHallick]

The think I love about that picture is it focuses on the weeping surrender monkey, but nobody ever talks about the surrender monkey to his right who is clapping. I think those are tears of joy, which would explin why they are so ticked off at the US now. They wanted to get invaded by the Nazis and we ruined it for them.

[TChad]

[Feiny]

I am so glad I can get drunk at my job without getting fired.

[Feiny]

A $30 hamburger? It must be enormous!

[Joe 6-pack]

When the owner put the "All Employees Must Wash Hands Before Returning to Work" sign in the restroom, the three musky-tears could take no more...

[JewishRighter]

Their complaint wins today's "Yeah, So What" award.

[beaver fever]

Two of them are 68 and one is sixty three. That's pretty long in the tooth to be a waiter.

Anti French environment is a week case. Age discrimination would be easier to prove.

I have the feeling the lawsuit is in lue of severence and pension benefits.

Also I'll bet there's a ninety percent chance they are't French but Canadians from Montreal.

[commonasdirt]

"Wait a minute, these French work?"

Not anymore....Maybe they demanded the whole month of August off.

[GladesGuru]

“created and fostered an environment rife with anti-French sentiment.”

So?

[hershey]

Sacre bleu! Sorry, had to get that out of my system.

[GreenHornet]

"It is wrong to be French!"

- Al Bundy, relaying the wisdom of Iron Head Hayes to his NO'MAAM buddies.

[massgopguy]

I love that picture. The Germans wore gray ya' know.

[elcid1970]

If I'm not mistaken, the Frenchman was weeping tears of joy, in the North African capital of Tunis, at the liberation of his city by American, British, and Free French forces.

[fedupjohn]

And the problem is???

[EdHallick]

No way! That photo is from Paris when the Nazis were marching in. Unless all this time it was Tunis and it was misused by the press? Impossible anyway, French dont clap at liberation unless they can blame the liberation on a Frenchman like they did with DeGaulle..