Iron Cactus sued over wage, hour issues

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A group of current and former members of the wait staffs at area Iron Cactus restaurants have filed a lawsuit alleging violation of labor laws.

The suit filed in Austin's federal courthouse accuses Iron Cactus of wage-and-hour violations dating back to February 2009.

"Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that Iron Cactus unlawfully required servers to contribute to a tip pool that, in part, was distributed to food expeditors in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act,".the Houston law firm of Kennedy Hodges said in a statement.

Gary Manley, general partner for Iron Cactus, said he was "deeply saddened" by the lawsuit.

"Iron Cactus has been serving the Austin community for more than 15 years," he said. "We have always placed the best interest of our employees and guests above anything else, and we will continue to do so.

"We've always treated our staff fairly. We are deeply saddened about this matter and intend to fight these false and misleading allegations through our attorneys."