Legal Question in Employment Law in California

Were you expressly promised a raise to a specific new pay rate with your promotion? You are legally entitled to the stated rate of pay you are told you will receive for your work. If you have not been paid that rate, you are entitled to file an unpaid wage claim with the state Department of Industrial Relations. Unless you were given a promise of a specific new pay rate, however, such as if they just said, "great, you're a manager now and we'll be giving you a raise" you have no legal right to any more pay than you were making before.

If you have actual evidence such as a written confirmation you are entitled to a pay raise, then you could file an unpaid compensation claim with the Labor Commissioner office local to you. Sounds though like that may not be their understanding. Many times a 'title' and more work is all there is to the promotion.