Mutual Aid for Woodside FOH Staff

On Friday, July 29th, 2022, the FOH staff for The Woodside Deli in Rockville, Maryland, were sent a text saying that their final paychecks would be available to pick up the following day. While the owner and his assistant made plans to shut down the restaurant, they were also convincing the staff that the business would stay open. They lied about bringing in new management, they launched a verbal assault on one of the managers for expressing wanting to quit, insisting that she has to give them notice, and they made excuses for why certain equipment was being moved around. Now, some of the most dedicated (former) employees are unemployed, without notice.

This kind of deception is not new, as another former, longtime employee was punished last January for being sick, and incurred a huge financial hit. She is still currently trying to get back on her feet. Another former, longtime employee was pushed out after she was constantly yelled at, overworked and underpaid for her efforts to keep the business going.

Many of the long time employees, at one point or another, have experienced being screamed at, working over 14 days in a row, working in unbearable heat, getting hurt because of faulty equipment, and being unpaid for overtime.

When the restaurant closed, they offered no severance, not even any of the frozen food for their staff to make sure they could still put dinner on the table.

We hope that you can donate what you can, or at least share our story. For the beloved customers of The Woodside Deli, you guys mean so much to us, and we appreciate you for your patronage over the years.