A top donor to labor-boosting Queens progressives — and the father-in-law of one of them — has been repeatedly accused by employees of cheating them on their paychecks.
At least four former employees of Jong Hwan No’s meatpacking business and BBQ restaurants have sued him for wage theft since 2012, public records show.
In one of two active cases, both filed in 2021, Jung Keun Kim, a worker at New York Meat Inc., said he regularly toiled “12 hours a day and more than 72 hours per week.”
No, 56, “willfully violated the Fair Labor Standards Act” by refusing to pay him overtime wages, according to court papers.
In the other active case, employee Ji Won Hong alleged he worked “7 days per week from 10:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m., without any meaningful break.”
Meanwhile, No lavished campaign cash on progressive lawmakers including his daughter-in-law, lefty Queens Councilwoman Julie Won — who has spoken out about “exploited labor.” No bundled at least $17,250 to Won’s City Council campaign coffers during the 2021 and 2023 cycles.
In September 2021, X posted — while her family battled their workers in court — Won vowed to fight for worker justice.
“Our city has failed to guarantee delivery workers a safe workplace or a living wage. The next city council must take sweeping action to protect delivery workers, both physically and financially,” Won wrote.
Queens State Sen. John Liu — who also has been outspoken about the need to protect workers cheated of out wages on city jobs — has received at least $6,800 from No between 2008 and 2014, city records show.
Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim, who also fancies himself a labor champion, has received at least $8,850 from No, either directly or as in-kind contributions from his businesses.
“When you steal from Asian immigrant women workers, there is no justice,” Kim lamented in September 2022.
We need to “start listening to the workers on the ground who are fighting for their back wages,” he added in April.
Jong Hwan No denied the court claims.
“During COVID, our darkest time, they left and joined my competition and now they are attacking me. That is what they are doing,” he said.
Won’s campaign treasurer Peter Hom said she was “not aware nor involved in operating Mr. No’s small business, and to suggest otherwise would be ridiculous.”
Reps for Liu and Kim did not respond to requests for comment.