DJ goes weeks without pay from Brownsville business

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Brownsville bar and grill is in the doghouse as a contracted employee is claiming she along with others are not getting paid for their work.

“I’m willing to tell my story and everybody’s story. Whoever is willing to listen,” former resident DJ at the Dog House Pub & Grill in Brownsville, Tisha Turner said.

She said she was contracted to work at the Dog House Pub & Grill since 2022 and has now been dealing with not being paid for her DJ service.

Turner is frustrated and waiting for answers, and her pay.

“$700 and please keep in mind, nobody has contacted me with an update. Nobody has told me when I’m going to get paid,” Turber said.

She said $700 in pay is owed as far as three weeks back.

Turner said she does not get much help when reaching out to the business’s representatives.

“Just broken promises, we’ll get back to you, updates, blocks, stop answering,” she said.

ValleyCentral’s Adam Cardona reached out to Rafael Pizaña, one of the people Turner said she has been trying to speak with for payment.

Pizaña did not claim to be an owner of the establishment but identified himself as a representative of the Dog House Pub & Grill.

“The DJ that was not paid did walked out on her shift, but that situation is being rectified,” Pizaña said.

Pizaña admited the DJ was not paid but said she walked out, accusations that Turner denies.

Turner said there are 13 others who have dealt with payment issues.

“As far as I know, there are no outstanding payroll issues. We’ve always been available to anybody that wanted to come to us. This is a vindictive DJ mad at the situation, but that’s all, that’s all I really have to say,” Pizaña said.

“If you’re an independent contractor, you would need the assistance of an attorney. You can also put in a claim that there is fraudulent business practice with the office of attorney general Texas,” said attorney Ricardo Barrera.

He said hourly employees facing payroll issues should beging by filing a claim online with the Texas Workforce Commission.

“They are tasked by our tax dollars, by our leadership, to do the work, to get you paid,” Barrera said.

For now, Turner said she will keep trying to get paid and not give up.

“It’s very frustrating, but you know what, I’m strong. I’m not letting go of this without a fight and it’s not just for me. It’s for everybody that they’ve done wrong because this is ridiculous,” she said.