Latino Workers to Confront Luxury Lamp Shade Company

Latino Workers to Confront Luxury Lamp Shade Company That Owes Thousands in Back Wages. Workers monthly wage was less than luxury lampshades, many of which cost more than $3500!

What:   A protest on behalf of two workers who have suffered gross violations of overtime pay at trans.LUXE Custom Lampshades and privately for one of its co-owners Fernando Santangelo. Both trans.LUXE Custom Lampshades and Fernando Santangelo's private lampshade business manufacture luxury lampshades that sell for between $3,500 and $20,000 per lampshade.

Manuel Santiago worked for trans.LUXE Custom Lamp Shades, located at 59 Walker St., for more than 3 years as a welder. His job was to build the frames for the lamps sold in the store. Although he worked Saturdays and Sundays several times a month, he was never paid time and a half when he worked more than 40 hours a week. He has filed a claim for his unpaid overtime wages with the Department of Labor. Adela Vasquez worked for trans.LUXE for about four months, constructing the lampshades sold in the store. After being hospitalized for a serious work-related illness caused by the lamp-making chemicals, she was fired. Then, Fernando Santangelo, one of the co-owners of the trans.LUXE store, hired her to work in his own private shop at 10 Greene St., making lamp shades for sale at trans.LUXE and for private buyers. At this job, although she was assigned to work the same weekly schedule, she often was required to work extra nighttime hours, sometimes even working for two days straight without sleep. However, she was only paid for her regular schedule when she worked these extra hours -- the nighttime work was completely unpaid. Towards the end of her employment, Mr. Santangelo stopped paying her any wages at all. When he laid her off after 5 months of unpaid work, he paid her only a fraction of what she was owed. Ms. Valdez has filed a claim with the Department of Labor for her overtime wages plus over $6,000 in unpaid straight-time wages.

Who:     Former employees, Make the Road New York, community organization

Where: Starting at trans.LUXE showroom at 59 Walker Street, Manhattan and marching to 10 Greene, the Headquarters of Fernando Santangelo, Inc. and Mr. Santangelo's home.

When:    Wednesday, July 1st, 2:30PM