May 22, 2014

WHD News Release: US Department of Labor files suit against Lombard, Ill., restaurant for more than $145,000 in back wages and damages for 9 workers [05/22/2014]

CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit against Omega Restaurant Ltd. and its owner, James Chiampas, seeking $145,000 in unpaid wages and liquidated damages for nine employees. An investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division found violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions at the restaurant.

May 21, 2014

WHD News Release: US Department of Labor investigation finds $55,186 in unpaid wages for 11 workers installing fire protection systems at Kinneary US Courthouse [05/21/2014]

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has determined that McLean, Va.-based The CFP Group Inc. failed to pay $55,186 in prevailing wage rates, fringe benefits, minimum wage and overtime to 11 workers in violation of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

May 21, 2014

WHD News Release: US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division to offer free compliance seminar in Danbury, Conn., on June 5, 2014 [05/21/2014]

DANBURY, Conn. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division will offer a comprehensive compliance seminar for employers, community rehabilitation programs and other stakeholders on the rules governing the payment of workers with disabilities under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The seminar will be held June 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT at the Western Connecticut State University, Midtown Student Center, 181 White St., Danbury, Conn. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. There is no charge to attend.

May 19, 2014

WHD News Release: Paul Johnson Drywall Inc. agrees to pay $600,000 in back wages, damages and penalties following US Labor Department investigation [05/19/2014]

PHOENIX — As a result of a Wage and Hour investigation, Paul Johnson Drywall Inc. severed its relationship with Arizona Tract LLC., a construction labor contractor. Beginning April 2013, Paul Johnson Drywall entered into a contract with Arizona Tract for the provision of drywall labor. Arizona Tract classified former Paul Johnson Drywall workers as "member/owners" instead of employees, which stripped them of basic worker protections afforded to employees.

May 19, 2014

WHD News Release: Paul Johnson Drywall Inc. agrees to pay $600,000 in back wages, damages and penalties following US Labor Department investigation [05/19/2014]

PHOENIX — As a result of a Wage and Hour investigation, Paul Johnson Drywall Inc. severed its relationship with Arizona Tract LLC., a construction labor contractor. Beginning April 2013, Paul Johnson Drywall entered into a contract with Arizona Tract for the provision of drywall labor. Arizona Tract classified former Paul Johnson Drywall workers as "member/owners" instead of employees, which stripped them of basic worker protections afforded to employees.

May 14, 2014

WHD News Release: Black Bear Burritos LLC to pay $232,295 in back wages to 105 workers following US Department of Labor investigation [05/14/2014]

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Black Bear Burritos LLC will pay a total of $232,295 in back wages to 105 workers employed at two restaurants located in Morgantown. Investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division's Charleston Area Office disclosed minimum wage and overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, including requiring servers to participate in an illegal tip pool, or tip sharing arrangement. When notified of the violations, the company agreed to pay all back wages and to future compliance.

May 13, 2014

WHD News Release: Queens-based, NY, supermarket chain to pay $372,172 in back wages, damages to 18 grocery baggers in Brooklyn and Queens [05/13/2014]

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment against a Glendale — based chain of 17 neighborhood supermarkets and owner Andres Ferreira. The firm, doing business as NSA Supermarket, NSA Golden Mango and Met Food in the New York City area, agreed to pay $372,172 in back wages and liquidated damages to 18 vulnerable workers. These employees worked for less than the minimum wage at stores in Brooklyn and Queens, following an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division.

May 13, 2014

WHD News Release: Fairfield, Texas, farm pays more than $122,000 in unpaid wages and penalties following US Department of Labor investigation [05/13/2014]

FAIRFIELD, Texas — Tim Cooper Farm Enterprises LP, doing business as Cooper Farms and Cooper Farms Country Store in Fairfield, has paid more than $122,000 in back wages and civil money penalties following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The investigation found that the company violated the child labor, minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and provisions of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.

May 12, 2014

WHD News Release: Lincoln Rehabilitation Center pays nearly $67,000 in unpaid wages to 138 workers following US Department of Labor investigation [05/12/2014]

DECATUR, Ill. — Lincoln Rehabilitation Center has paid 138 employees $66,983 in unpaid wages because of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The investigation found that the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to compensate employees for all hours worked, including pre- and post-shift work, and improperly exempted some employees from overtime requirements.

May 8, 2014

WHD News Release: US Department of Labor investigation finds Bayonne, NJ, ship repair contractors owe $720,000 in back wages to workers [05/08/2014]

BAYONNE, N.J. — Bayonne Dry Dock and Repair Corp. and Coastwide Material Supply Corp., based in Bayonne, paid $720,000 in unpaid wages and liquidated damages to the U.S. Department of Labor for distribution to 224 workers who worked for the firms at the Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne.

May 5, 2014

WHD News Release: US Department of Labor investigation finds Hibachi Buffet Inc. of Minneapolis owes more than $117,000 in unpaid wages to 18 workers [05/05/2014]

MINNEAPOLIS — Workers at the Hibachi Buffet Inc. will be paid a total of $117,152 in back wages following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The investigation revealed violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping provisions. Kitchen workers typically worked 60 hours per week for a fixed monthly salary, often earning far less than the legally required minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

April 30, 2014

WHD News Release: Nearly $2M in back wages and penalties sought in US Labor Department lawsuit against Calif. strawberry grower [04/30/2014]

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.

April 29, 2014

WHD News Release: Edison, NJ, nursery agrees to pay nearly $64,000 in unpaid wages and penalties after US Department of Labor investigation [04/29/2014]

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.

April 24, 2014

WHD News Release: Garcia Forest Service debarred from federal contracts for 3 years following US Labor Department investigation [04/24/2014]

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.

April 24, 2014

WHD News Release: Garcia Forest Service debarred from federal contracts for 3 years following US Labor Department investigation [04/24/2014]

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.

April 17, 2014

WHD News Release: Lawsuits to recover unpaid wages and damages for 89 workers at five Columbus-area hotels filed by US Labor Department [04/17/2014]

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.

April 15, 2014

WHD News Release: Hawaii's Fat Law's Farm to pay $460,000 for labor violations following US Department of Labor investigation [04/15/2014]

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.

April 10, 2014

WHD News Release: Citywide Security Services will pay more than $14,000 in back wages to 30 Cleveland security guards because of US Department of Labor investigation [04/10/2014]

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.

April 7, 2014

WHD News Release: Judge orders Darryl Howes Farms to stop misclassifying migrant workers as independent contractors and comply with the FLSA and the MSPA [04/07/2014]

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.