Lin's Fusion has reached a $2 million settlement with the Labor Commissioner's Office, which said it violated state labor laws. Google Street View image

A Fresno restaurant has reached a $2 million settlement with the California Labor Commission representing wages due to 32 workers over a three-year period.

The Labor Commissioner’s Office announced the settlement Tuesday with Pearl B-Star, Inc., doing business as Lin’s Fusion. Pearl B-Star, Inc. violated state labor laws governing recordkeeping, payroll timekeeping and cash pay without wage statements, according to a Labor Commission news release.

The Department of Industrial Relations Bureau of Field Enforcement (BOFE) was referred the case by the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. BOFE’s investigation began in 2019 and found that workers, many of them immigrants, were paid a salary in cash and were not compensated for overtime, split shifts, meal periods and contract wages.

Jinhai Lin is registered as CEO of Pearl B-Star, the parent company of Lin’s Fusion buffet at 5155 N. Blackstone Ave. The restaurant is owned by the family of Jason Lin, one of Fresno’s most prominent restaurateurs with a new River Park Japanese eatery that debuted this month.

Jason Lin himself is not listed as an officer with the Pearl B-Star corporation.

When reached by phone Wednesday, Jason Lin declined to comment on the matter except to say he was not managing Lin’s Fusion during this period.

The Labor Commissioner is asking that anyone who worked at Lin’s Fusion between Sept. 26, 2016, and Sept. 26, 2019 to immediately contact their office at (619) 767-2039 as they may be entitled to owed wages and damages under the settlement agreement.

In January, the City of Fresno is believed to be the first municipality in California to enact a program to pursue wage theft cases against employers.

It made Fresno the first city in California to pursue both civil and criminal action against employers committing wage theft, authorized by the state with the recent passing of Assembly Bill 594.

AB 594, which went into effect at the start of the year, authorizes a public prosecutor to initiate civil or criminal action for a violation of specified provisions of the Labor Code, or to enforce those provisions independently, until Jan. 1, 2029.