Doubletree Franchise Partner Dropped From Hotel Worker Wage Suit

A group of housekeepers, servers, and other workers employed at a Doubletree by Hilton in New York can’t pursue federal and state wage claims against one of the franchisee’s owners, after a federal judge found insufficient evidence of a joint-employer relationship.

The workers failed to establish that Alexander Sirotkin or his company, Browne & Appel LLC, exercised control over them or the hotel’s operations in a way that affected their employment, Judge Kenneth M. Karas said Monday.

Sirotkin and B&A own about 17% of 455 Hospitality, which owns, operates, and manages the Doubletree in Tarrytown, N.Y., under a franchise agreement. ...