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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Press Release<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">For Immediate Distribution<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:date Month="5" Day="11" Year="2011"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">May 11, 2011</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">CONTACT: Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal align=center><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Evidence of Discrimination Found in Avakian Complaint Investigation<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Civil Rights Division finds substantial evidence of violations by Typhoon against Thai workers<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">PORTLAND –</SPAN></B><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> The Civil Rights Division of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has concluded its investigation into alleged civil rights violations by Typhoon!, Inc., and found substantial evidence that the restaurant chain engaged in unlawful discrimination against its Thai employees based on their national origin.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Pursuing a complaint filed by State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian <A href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/docs/09.08.10_BOLI_Release_-_Avakian_Complaint_v_Typhoon.pdf"><FONT color=#800080>last fall</FONT></A>, investigators found evidence that Typhoon used its leverage over workers recruited from </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Thailand</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> to impose lower pay, longer hours, unfavorable contract terms, and hostile working conditions that were not faced by non-Thai employees.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">“Typhoon could have chosen to follow the law and provide equal pay for equal work,” </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">Avakian said.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“Instead, the company trapped Thai workers into employment they were afraid to leave and turned that fear into a business advantage<SPAN style="COLOR: black">.</SPAN>”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Investigators found multiple witnesses – including employees hired by Typhoon from both the </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">United States</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> and </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Thailand</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> – who described the company subjecting Thai workers to different treatment in the workplace.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Unlike their American counterparts, Thai workers were:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Intimidated into signing employment agreements that required thousands of dollars be paid to Typhoon within one day if the employee was terminated </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">and attempted to strip employees of the right to seek legal redress in a court of law or administrative agency<SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Relocated between restaurants in different cities with minimal or no notice and not provided housing as their visa agreements required: as of November 2010, a total of 18 Thai workers resided in two apartments and one single family residence. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Pressured to work extra hours without compensation, often </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt">working between shifts or <SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">carving vegetables at home after their shifts had ended.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Investigation of payroll records showed that among both salaried cooks and cooks paid hourly wages, Thai citizens working at Typhoon under E-2 visas were paid less than </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">U.S.</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"> citizen cooks.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face="Times New Roman">With the Civil Rights Division’s finding of substantial evidence, the case will advance to BOLI’s Hearings Unit for issuance of formal charges for discrimination in compensation, terms of employment and conditions of employment.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face="Times New Roman">At the same time, BOLI’s Wage and Hour Division is investigating two claims for unpaid overtime wages filed by former Typhoon employees.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face="Times New Roman">For more information about BOLI, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI"><FONT color=#800080 face="Times New Roman">http://www.oregon.gov/BOLI</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman">.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoFooter align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The mission of the Bureau of Labor and Industries is to protect employment rights, advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P></BODY></HTML>