HOUSTON — The U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking to obtain a judgment against strawberry grower Fernandez Farms Inc., based in Watsonville, Calif., and its president, Gonzalo Fernandez, requiring payment of nearly $1 million in back wages to approximately 400 farm workers for minimum wage and overtime violations.

EDISON, N.J. — Plant, tree and shrub firm Barton Nursery Inc. has signed a consent judgment agreeing to pay $27,056 in back wages to 12 nonimmigrant foreign workers hired under the H-2A visa program of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Investigators from the Wage and Hour Division's Southern New Jersey District Office found the Edison-based company failed to pay workers the proper wages and failed to retain adequate and accurate records for three years. The business will pay $36,615 in civil monetary penalties because of the H-2A violations.

MINNEAPOLIS — A U.S. Labor Department investigation has resulted in the debarment of Garcia Forest Service LLC, and its president, Samuel Garcia, from eligibility for further service contracts with any U.S. government agency for three years.

MINNEAPOLIS — A U.S. Labor Department investigation has resulted in the debarment of Garcia Forest Service LLC, and its president, Samuel Garcia, from eligibility for further service contracts with any U.S. government agency for three years.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed two lawsuits in the federal district court in Columbus against Darpan Management Inc.; five hotels the company owns and manages; and its owners, Darshan Shah, Vibhakar Shah and Prakash Patel.

HONOLULU — Fat Law's Farm Inc. has been ordered by a court to pay $428,800 in back wages and liquidated damages to workers after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found the Oahu-based employer in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions. The company has also agreed to pay $31,200 in civil money penalties because of deplorable housing, safety and health conditions for workers, in violation of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.

CLEVELAND — Under terms of a consent judgment, Citywide Security Services Inc. has agreed to pay $14,760 in overtime back wages to 30 security guards of the Cleveland-based company operating as Citywide Protection Services. The company also will pay $5,000 in civil money penalties for willful and repeat violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A federal judge has ordered Darryl Howes and his business, Darryl Howes Farms, located in Copemish, to stop misclassifying his migrant workers as independent contractors, to comply with the record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and housing standards of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, and to cease interfering with U.S. Department of Labor investigations.

McALLEN, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an action in the U.S. District Court in McAllen seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to protect workers from retaliation and threats of retaliation from some ISPE Produce Inc. officials.

The department's Wage and Hour Division is currently investigating ISPE Produce under the minimum wage, overtime, record-keeping and anti-retaliation provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

DAYTON, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit to recover back wages and liquidated damages for 83 workers at Dayton-area cellular phone retailers owned by Zam LLC, Reham LLC and Mohammed Rihan. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions at the 14 retail stores operating as Zam Cricket and World Wireless. The investigation determined that the company owes $226,905 in back wages to its workers.

CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division will offer a comprehensive compliance seminar for federal contractors, unions and employees to provide information on the rules governing prevailing wage requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act, McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act and Executive Order 13495 wage rules for nondisplacement of qualified workers.

AKRON, Ohio — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, to recover unpaid wages and liquidated damages for 18 workers at Brown Derby Roadhouse in Akron. In addition to wages and damages, the suit also seeks a court order permanently enjoining CPS Foods Ltd., and its operators Gillian Harris and Gary Harris, from violating the Fair Labor Standards Act in the future.

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh-based industrial painting company QSC Contracting LLC paid a total of $25,468 in back wages and liquidated damages to 26 painters following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The firm was in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime and record-keeping provisions.

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — Workers at China Town Super Buffet in Kansas City, Independence and Blue Springs will receive a total of $196,971 in unpaid wages after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions.

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia sports bar and restaurant chain Chickie's & Pete's has signed a consent judgment agreeing to pay current and former employees more than $6.8 million in back wages and damages for improperly taking tips from servers and violating federal minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping requirements. Following one of the U.S.

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia sports bar and restaurant chain Chickie's & Pete's has signed a consent judgment agreeing to pay current and former employees more than $6.8 million in back wages and damages for improperly taking tips from servers and violating federal minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping requirements. Following one of the U.S.

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Former McDonald's franchisee Cheung Enterprises LLC and president Andrew Cheung, based in Middletown, have agreed to pay $205,977 in back wages and liquidated damages to 291 employees, including 178 foreign student workers hired under the U.S. State Department's J-1 visa program. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that the company violated the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act at the company's six locations across central Pennsylvania.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The City of Providence, the Providence School Board and the Harold A. Birch Vocational Center and School have signed a settlement agreement to pay $250,859 in back wages to 60 student workers with disabilities following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division that found violations of the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

BLUEFIELD, Va. — U.S. Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent ordered the garnishment of an additional $5,002 in liquidated damages from the Tazewell County accounting firm of Raymond A. Froy Jr., CPA, P.C., and its president, Raymond A. Froy Jr., after ruling that the defendants failed to meet the terms of a consent judgment with the U.S. Department of Labor.