You’re fired! When retaliation and abuse are part of the job

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It was just after lunchtime in June 2015 when Rafael Rosales heard a knock on the door of his Los Angeles apartment. When he answered, two men were there, one with the word “frogtown,” a local gang, tattooed across the back of his head. They were there to deliver a message.

The conversation that followed was secretly filmed by one of Rosales’ relatives.

“This isn’t going to pass, you know what I mean?” said one of the men at the door. They told Rosales they were there to “ask nicely” and “give (him) some money.” In exchange, they expected Rosales to drop a lawsuit against Carousel Restaurant, where Rosales had been a cook. He and two other former workers were suing for stolen wages.

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