February 24, 2011

US Labor Department collects $2 million in back wages, civil money penalties from Houston-based Hong Kong Market grocery chain

HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $1.8 million in back wages for nearly 400 workers and collected $200,000 in civil money penalties from Houston-based grocery stores Hong Land Corp., Hong Kong Group Inc., Pacific Ocean Enterprise Inc. and B&B Corner Corp., all doing business as Hong Kong Market, and store owners Hai Du Duong and Ha Duong.

February 10, 2011

US Labor Department sues Houston-based Kinder Morgan

HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the filing of a lawsuit against Houston-based Kinder Morgan Inc. and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP for their failure to pay more than $1 million in overtime compensation to approximately 4,500 current and former operators, technicians, maintenance workers, laborers and administrative nonexempt employees in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

February 7, 2011

US Labor Department recovers more than $934,000 in overtime back wages for 479 employees of UnitedHealthcare in Hartford, Conn.

HARTFORD, Conn. — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered a total of $934,551 in overtime back wages for 479 employees of UnitedHealthcare and $104,280 in civil money penalties after an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division determined that the employees had been incorrectly classified as exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act and consequently denied compensation for all hours worked.

January 24, 2011

US Labor Department recovers back wages, liquidated damages for underpaid Washington state restaurant workers

SEATTLE — Super China Buffet in Shoreline, Wash., and Great Dragon Inc., doing business as King Buffet restaurants in Everett and Marysville, Wash., have agreed to pay $420,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 83 employees. This agreement resolves a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor after an inspection by the department's Wage and Hour Division found violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

January 13, 2011

US Department of Labor recovers more than $1 million in overtime wages for employees of US Army contractor in Southern California

WEST COVINA, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has resolved an investigation against contractor CALNET Inc. and two subcontractors providing language, intelligence and information technology services to the U.S. Army at Ft. Irwin, Calif. The three companies had paid employees improperly for on-call time.

January 11, 2011

US Labor Department investigation collects more than $1.3 million in back wages for employees of TSA contractor at Chicago OHare

CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $1,368,946 in back wages and fringe benefits for 140 employees of Total Enterprise Inc., a bus transportation company, following an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division under the Service Contract Act.

January 10, 2011

US Labor Department recovers nearly $160,000 in back wages for 110 Los Angeles garment workers

LOS ANGELES — Clothing manufacturer Joe's Jeans has paid $158,952 in back wages owed to 110 garment workers who worked for one of the company's Los Angeles-based sewing contractors. The action results from an agreement between Joe's Jeans in Commerce, Calif., and the U.S. Department of Labor following an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division that found the contractor failed to pay the workers minimum wage and overtime as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

December 30, 2010

US Labor Department resolves back wage case against Houston-based CEMEX

Workers in 8 states to recover more than $1.5 million in overtime back wages

HOUSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor announced the filing of a consent judgment in a case against CEMEX Inc. and the recovery of $1,514,449 in overtime back wages for 1,705 current and former ready-mix drivers who worked in eight states.

December 21, 2010

US Labor Department seeks comments on nursing mothers law

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is requesting public comments on its preliminary interpretations of a new provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act that requires employers to provide nursing mothers with reasonable break time and a private space for expressing breast milk while at work. This new provision — the Break Time for Nursing Mothers Law — became law when the Affordable Care Act was signed by the president in March 2010.

December 14, 2010

US Department of Labor obtains default judgment in Southern California garment manufacturer case

ORANGE, Calif. — A U.S. district court judge has ruled in favor of the U.S. Department of Labor in a case against a Westminster, Calif., garment manufacturer and its owner, awarding a total of $887,554 to current and former workers. Judge A. Howard Matz approved the department's request for a default judgment against Laundry Room Clothing Inc., owner Milton Kaneda and principal Sharon Kaneda after they failed to pay $380,824 in unpaid minimum wage and overtime compensation due to 115 low-wage workers.

December 13, 2010

US Labor Department seeks more than $829,000 in back wages, proposes debarment of 2 contractors for work on New York publicly-funded housing projects

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor has taken legal action to recover more than $829,000 in back wages for 32 workers employed as demolition laborers by Enviro & Demo Masters Inc. and Gladiators Contracting Corp., construction demolition companies based in Brooklyn and Queens.

"The department will not hesitate to pursue legal action, including debarment, to ensure employees are properly paid under the law," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

December 7, 2010

US Labor Department recovers nearly $339,000 in back wages and debars electrical subcontractor for work on New York City publicly-funded housing projects

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered nearly $339,000 in back wages for 27 workers employed as electrical mechanics by Sant-Tec Electric Inc., a company incorporated in both New York and New Jersey.

An investigation by the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division revealed that the company and its officials had violated wage and benefit requirements of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act on three federally-funded housing construction projects in New York City.

December 7, 2010

US Labor Department obtains consent order to recover more than $638,000 in back wages from Newark, NJ, computer consulting company

Company debarred for 1 year from participating in H-1B program

NEWARK, N.J.Following a consent order obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor, Peri Software Solutions Inc. and its owner, Saravanan Periasamy, have agreed to pay $638,449 in back wages and interest to 67 workers for violating the H-1B provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The Newark company sponsored the H-1B non-immigrant workers to work as programmer analysts across the country.

November 18, 2010

DOL's Wage and Hour Division assesses Georgia agricultural employer $1.3 million in back wages and $136,500 in penalties -

ATLANTA —Following an investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is assessing J&R Baker Farms LLC $1,311,644 in back wages owed to 244 workers and $136,500 in fines for violating provisions of the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program.

The department’s Office of the Solicitor has filed a request with the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges to hold a hearing to enforce the department’s findings against the Ellenton, Ga., agricultural employer.

November 15, 2010

US Department of Labor reaches out to Michigan schools to keep teens safe at after-school jobs -

DETROIT — High schools and junior high schools in Michigan will receive valuable information this week from the U.S. Department of Labor about state and federal work rules designed to keep teens safe at work and productive at school.

October 14, 2010

US Department of Labor and Puerto Rico Department of Labor sign partnership agreement

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico — The U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division and the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources, Labor Standards Division, have entered into a partnership agreement aimed at ensuring compliance among employers in Puerto Rico with both federal and the commonwealths labor laws.

October 13, 2010

US Department of Labor recovers more than $485,000 in back wages for employees of New York City dollar store chain

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than $485,000 in minimum wages, overtime pay, liquidated damages and post-judgment interest for approximately 120 employees of several New York City-area dollar stores. The dollar stores and their owners agreed to two partial consent judgments resolving the department's lawsuit over alleged violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, including the failure to pay minimum wages and overtime compensation to employees who worked in excess of 40 hours a week.

August 26, 2010

US Department of Labor recovers more than $433,000 in back wages for Walt Disney World employees

ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has recovered $433,819 in back wages owed to 69 employees of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. in Orlando, Fla. The company agreed to make the payments following an investigation that uncovered violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

August 17, 2010

US Labor Department obtains nearly $1 million in back wages and interest for 135 H-1B workers of Smartsoft International

ATLANTA — Smartsoft International Inc., a computer consulting company based in Suwanee, Ga., has agreed to pay nearly $1 million in back wages and interest to 135 nonimmigrant workers temporarily employed by the company under the H-1B visa program. The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of the Solicitor reached this agreement following a determination by the department's Wage and Hour Division that the company violated the H-1B program's rules. Smartsoft International also has U.S. offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., and North Brunswick, N.J.

August 11, 2010

DOL recovers more than $868,000 in back wages for Florida-based timeshare company employees -

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $868,443 in back wages for 1,065 employees of Central Florida Investments, based in Orlando, Fla., following an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division.

Central Florida Investments operates timeshare resorts in Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia under the name Westgate Resorts. The investigation included all locations of the company.