Around a dozen people held signs outside of Ciro's restaurant on Montana Saturday after they say they are owed money.

Some claim they are over a thousand dollars in unpaid wages -- and no answers from the local restaurant chain.

"We're here because we've seen a pattern of wage thefts across all the Ciro's restaurants," said Shalini Thomas, a member of the Labor Justice committee.

Former employees and members of the Labor Justice Committee took to the streets of El Paso to get their message across.

"We've tried talking to the individual owners and we get the run around. 'Talk to someone else, talk to someone else, we'll call you tomorrow,'" said Thomas.

Francisca Reca says she is owed over $1200 in unpaid wages.

"I feel disappointed, let down. I feel...I don't know," said Reca.

Reca is not the only one who has come forward. Two other former employees, Graciela Martinez and Ernesto Rivera all went to the Labor Justice Committee at the end of 2012 looking for support.

"We believe that as we get more and more public, more and more people will come out of the woodwork," said Thomas.

KFOX 14 tracked down the owner of the local chain. He said he is the one being taken advantage of.

"Because it's not me who owes them money. It's someone else who owe them, someone who was located on Mcrae," said Arturo Rodriguez, owner of Ciro's.

Rodriguez says that although he owns the buildings and chain, he doesn't own the individual franchises. Those owners, he says, are nowhere to be found.

"They fled to Guadalajara without paying rent, electricity, water or even their workers," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez says he's always supported the workers even paying bills he claims weren't his responsiblity.

"I've lost like four to five million dollars because I protected workers. Since 2010, I wasn't paid for rent and even for interest," said Rodriguez.

"Employers in El Paso think that because it's El Paso, because people speak Spanish, because people are poor, they think that they can take advantage of their workers," said Thomas.

"I ask them that they (other workers in the same situation) think about it and come so there aren't more patrons that are doing the same," said Reca.

Rodriguez says he had to declare bankruptcy because of this entire situation.

He claims there are two people who he did owe money to and he is paying them periodically as he can afford to.