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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: 202/219-8211
The U.S. Labor Department has obtained a temporary restraining order
under the hot goods provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act prohibiting the
shipment outside of the state of goods produced by employees of Columbia
Textile Services because the company violated federal minimum wage and overtime
statutes.
The textile dying, printing, and finishing firm, located at 28 Ryle
Avenue in Paterson, ceased operations on or about July 17 and failed to pay its
workers for the workweeks of July 13 and July 20. The Labor Department's Wage
and Hour Division determined, by interviewing employees and examining pay
records, that Columbia owes at least 150 employees approximately $70,000 in
back wages.
The court order, signed September 10 by U.S. District Judge Maryanne
Trump Barry in federal district court in Newark, prevents the shipment of
approximately 500,000 yards of fabric.
This is the first instance in the Labor Department's campaign to
eradicate sweatshops where the department has invoked the hot goods provision
involving the production of textile used in the manufacture of garments.
"We will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to end the
exploitation of garment workers," said Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich. "We
will not tolerate irresponsible business practices which lead to the abuse of
vulnerable workers. We must involve all the players in the garment industry,
including the suppliers of materials, in our efforts to end sweatshops."
This action follows the department's release on August 23 of its second
quarterly garment enforcement report which shows that nearly $700,000 in back
wages were recovered in a 3-month period for almost 2,500 garment workers.
According to the report, New York continues to lead the nation in the number of
violations.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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