January 11, 2017

Worker at Solvang restaurants denied nursing mother’s rights, employer retaliated after employee complained about hostile workplace

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Department of Labor investigated two popular Solvang tourist restaurants and determined that they denied wait staff break time to express breast milk in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

January 10, 2017

Alabama tire retailer pays more than $27K in back wages, damages after US Department of Labor investigation

Employer name: Gulf Coast L&P Inc., doing business as Rent-n-Roll

Investigation site: 1059 North Eastern Blvd.
Montgomery, Alabama 36117

January 9, 2017

Georgia peanut company to pay $55K in overtime back wages to 46 employees after US Labor Department investigation

Employer name: Tifton Peanut Co. Inc. #2

Investigation site: 225 Windy Hill Road
Tifton, Georgia 31794

January 4, 2017

Federal contractor pays 64 employees $507K in back wages following US Labor Department investigation

Employer name: All Native Services Co.

Investigation site: 375 Perry St.
Robins Air Force Base, Georgia 31096

December 30, 2016

US Labor Department moves to debar US Senate cafeteria contractor for underpaying workers by more than $1M

Date of action:  December 29, 2016

Type of action:  McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act Debarment Action

Names of respondents:  Restaurant Associates LLC, Restaurant Associates Inc., and Dick Cattani
132 West 31st Street, Suite 601, New York, NY 10001

December 27, 2016

New Jersey mattress company agrees to pay nearly $300K in back wages, damages after denying overtime to 55 production workers

PASSAIC, N.J. – Fifty-five low-wage production workers who spend long work days sewing and loading mattresses at a Passaic mattress refurbishment company will soon receive their share of $292,998 in back wages and liquidated damages after the company entered into a consent judgment with the U.S. Department of Labor.

December 21, 2016

Residential waste, recycling company to pay $37K in overtime back wages to 32 employees after US Department of Labor investigation

Employer name: Southern Sanitation Inc.

Investigation site: 7706 B Hampton Place
Loganville, Georgia 30052

December 20, 2016

Imperial County farmworkers to receive $13K in back pay

Employer: Amigo Farms, Inc.

Sites:4245 East 32nd St.
Yuma, Arizona

Investigation findings: Investigators from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that Amigo Farms, Inc. failed to pay lettuce pickers at fields in Winterhaven, California, for time spent on the job waiting for ice to melt off the produce in the winter months. At times, the thaw could take 1 to 3 hours per day.

December 15, 2016

Southeast Texas hotel workers receive $285K in back wages, damages after more than 40 federal wage and hour investigations

HOUSTON – On a motel housekeeper’s wages, Iris Castro lives on a budget that barely makes ends meet. When her aging parents’ ill health demanded medications, she couldn’t afford to send money home to her native Honduras. Unable to return home, she is left to mourn their deaths in the past two years and saddened by her inability to help pay for their care.

December 15, 2016

Santa Ana restaurant workers will receive $96K in unpaid overtime, damages after US Labor Department investigation

Employer: El Calamar Inc.

Site: 315 West 17th St.
Santa Ana, California

December 14, 2016

Mozzarella’s, Fitzy’s Pub Family restaurants pay $123K in back wages, damages to 22 underpaid workers in three states

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has recovered $123,574 in back wages and damages for 22 underpaid workers at four Mozzarella’s and Fitzy’s Pub Family restaurants in southern New England. The employers also paid $4,114 in civil monetary penalties.

December 14, 2016

Auto parts supplier to pay more than $75K in unpaid overtime wages, damages to 526 workers in Michigan, Alabama

TROY, Mich. – A Michigan-based auto components manufacturer and supplier will pay 526 workers $75,064 – representing $37,532 in unpaid overtime wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages – after federal investigators determined the company calculated their overtime pay incorrectly.

December 13, 2016

Gas station owner to pay $84K in back wages, damages to 41 employees denied minimum wage, overtime pay at three Buffalo area locations

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The owner of three Buffalo-area gas stations has paid a total of $84,000 in back wages and damages to 41 employees after an investigation by the Buffalo area office of U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.

Lakhwinder Gill – the owner of the Angola Food Mart Inc. (Angola), LHP Food Mart Inc. (Buffalo) and Lake Shore Mini Mart, Inc. (Hamburg) gas stations – will also pay $1,000 in civil monetary penalties.

December 13, 2016

Mozzarella’s, Fitzy’s Pub Family restaurants pay $123K in back wages, damages to 22 underpaid workers in three states

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has recovered $123,574 in back wages and damages for 22 underpaid workers at four Mozzarella’s and Fitzy’s Pub Family restaurants in southern New England. The employers also paid $4,114 in civil monetary penalties.

December 12, 2016

Six gas stations, convenience stores to pay $132K in unpaid overtime, damages to Sacramento-area workers after US Labor Department investigation

Employer: Six gas stations/convenience stores, all under common ownership, doing business as Arco AM/PM in the Sacramento, California area.

Sites: Lodi Oil Inc., 4931 N. Flag City Blvd, Lodi
Kamboj Oil Inc., 45 15th St., West Sacramento
Wraich Petroleum Corp., 3921 Watt Avenue, Sacramento
Broadway Petroleum Inc., 2100 Broadway, Sacramento
Mehroke LLC, 902 Newville Road, Orlanda
Sacramento Petroleum Inc., 4745 Watt Avenue North Highlands

December 8, 2016

Federal court rebukes FLDS-affiliated business in child labor case

SALT LAKE CITY – A federal judge has ordered Brian Jessop and Paragon Contractors Corp., to make an initial payment of $200,000 to compensate hundreds of children who were employed illegally and not paid for their labor on a pecan ranch between 2008-2013. Jessop and Paragon coordinated with the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints to use children and others in the church for field work.

December 8, 2016

Federal court rebukes FLDS-affiliated business in child labor case

SALT LAKE CITY – A federal judge has ordered Brian Jessop and Paragon Contractors Corp., to make an initial payment of $200,000 to compensate hundreds of children who were employed illegally and not paid for their labor on a pecan ranch between 2008-2013. Jessop and Paragon coordinated with the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints to use children and others in the church for field work.

December 8, 2016

Lawsuit seeks more than $23K in unpaid overtime wages, damages for 13 employees of travel plazas, gas stations in Northern Indiana

Type of Action: Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuit filing

Defendant(s): Rinky Sharma
Bobby Singh
SkyExpress Travel Plaza Inc., doing business as Plaza 30
Sky Petroleum Inc., doing business as Govertown Travel Plaza and Michigan City Grocery
Aman Group LLC, dba Marathon Stop and Shop

December 8, 2016

QUEENS-BASED NURSING HOME CHAIN TO PAY OVER $2M IN BACK WAGES AND DAMAGES TO 844 UNDERPAID EMPLOYEES IN EASTERN NEW YORK

NEW YORK – A Queens-based operator of residential nursing homes and adult care facilities will pay a total of $2,006,796 in back wages and liquidated damages to 844 underpaid employees at five locations in eastern New York following a federal investigation of alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

December 7, 2016

Long Island restaurant, catering hall to pay $285K to two dozen employees denied minimum wage, overtime pay

NEW YORK – A Garden City restaurant and catering hall will pay a total of $285,800 in back wages and liquidated damages to 24 underpaid employees to resolve violations of the minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The company will also pay $24,200 in civil money penalties to the U.S. Department of Labor and take corrective action to prevent future violations as part of a consent judgment filed with the U.S.