The New York attorney general’s wage-theft suit could pave the way for unionizing workplaces across different owner-operators.

It might become the biggest tip in the history of New York pizza: a lawsuit cracking down on one of the country’s fast-food giants, linking its chain-business model to three franchise bosses charged with collectively owing workers more than half a million dollars in stolen wages.

According to a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office last week, the Domino’s pizza empire and its franchise operators share the blame for years of cheating workers out of tipped wages and overtime pay. Both the parent company and the franchise operators are targeted as joint employers, charged with failing to adhere to wage-and-hour laws for workers. While wage theft is rampant throughout the restaurant business, the lawsuit alleges that the proprietary payroll software system Domino’s uses in its franchises is rigged to encourage cheating workers by design. A multi-year investigation has traced a digital paper trail from each pizza shop straight up to corporate headquarters.
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