Michelin-recommended Back Bay restaurant sued by employees

Driving the news: Kelsey MacKinnon, Clara Herman and Nadia Agourram claim La Padrona violated state wage laws by requiring wait staff to take part in tip pools that benefited some employees with managerial duties as well as kitchen workers who don't qualify for tips.

• The plaintiffs want the case certified as a class action.

What they're saying: "A restaurant has the ability to pay their employees $8.25 less per hour than any other industry.  But to take advantage of that they need to follow the rules.  It's that simple," the employees' attorney, Lou Saban, tells Axios.

• La Padrona's operator, 40 Trinity Place Restaurant Group, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zoom in: The lawsuit alleges servers were paid the tipped hourly wage of $6.75 while surrendering portions of their tips to a larger group of workers.

• They say La Padrona operated a "pooled house" system, in which tips were distributed to employees including "captains" with managerial responsibilities and "bussers" who worked primarily in the kitchen.

The bottom line: The plaintiffs want restitution for the withheld tips, the difference between their service rate and the non-tipped $15-an-hour minimum wage, plus damages and attorney fees.