Assi Supermarket Workers Finally Compensated after Six Years

by Tracker
3/24/08

After years of struggle, including a multi-year boycott, community protests, daily picket lines and a series of settlement talks, Assi supermarket workers in Los Angeles’ Koreatown received their checks from a settlement with their employer. The checks began to arrive early this year. The payments affect over a hundred Latino and Korean workers, who will receive checks averaging five to six thousand dollars

Last April, Assi Super, Inc. owner Daniel Rhee settled his former employees' class action lawsuit around unpaid overtime wages, racial discrimination and harassment for $1.475 million.

The settlement also provided that Assi would create an internal complaint system for workers, and conduct trainings on California's wage and hour and employment discrimination laws.

The Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA) helped lead the long and difficult campaign to improve working conditions at Assi Market, one of Koreatown's largest community-owned businesses. Many Korean American workers were not paid overtime and Latino workers were denied rest breaks, yelled at and mistreated by management.

It was the most contentious labor dispute in Koreatown history. Aside from the protest actions, during the course of the campaign, there was an inconclusive union election and the firing of half of Assi's workforce.

Community actors were ambiguous in their stands. Some Korean American media felt that KIWA was too extreme. However, Koreatown employers, particularly other supermarkets in the area, had become more cautious in their treatment of workers.

Assi Campaign Poster