BOSTON – A federal court in Vermont has concluded that the First Amendment does not protect a Milton, Vermont, excavation contractor and its officials from using social media to retaliate against employees. The decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont is the latest action in ongoing litigation between the Department of Labor and Bevins & Son Inc.

Employers:    Gordo Corp., operating as El Gordito, Belleville, Illinois

                        Patricia and Samuel Gonzalez Lara, owners

Action:           Complaint filing

Date of action:                      May 20, 2024

 Type of action:                     Consent judgment and order 

 Names of defendants:           P & B Heating & Air Conditioning Corp., West Babylon, New York; 

Employers:    MKK Holding Inc., operating as the Blue Fish Asian Cuisine, Dearborn, Michigan

                        Sung Hee Kim

                        Min Kyu Kim

Employer:      La Mojarra Loca Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has recovered more than $450,000 in back wages and damages for 62 people employed by two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms — where a disgruntled co-worker fatally shot seven migrant workers in January 2023 — and assessed penalties after investigators found the employers underpaid workers and provided unsafe housing conditions.

GREENVILLE, MS – The Department of Labor has obtained a federal consent judgment that requires a Greenville cleaning and janitorial service and its owner to pay more than $127,000 in back wages, liquidated damages and compensatory damages following a court’s finding that the two illegally terminated workers for asserting their rights to federally-mandated sick leave. 

Nombre del empleador:        Blanca Rosa Amezcua, cuyo nombre comercial es Taqueria Tepeque #1

Employer name:           Blanca Rosa Amezcua, operating as Taqueria Tepeque #1

Read this news release in English.

Empleador:    Samer Express LLC

295 Glenn Road

West Columbia, SC 29172

Read this news release En Español. 

Employer:      Samer Express LLC

295 Glenn Road

West Columbia, SC 29172

Date of action:                       May 8, 2024

Type of action:                      Denial of employer’s motion to dismiss

WASHINGTON – Un juez de derecho administrativo confirmó las conclusiones de una investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. sobre las prácticas laborales de un subcontratista de concreto de Bowie, Maryland, y sus propietarios, que encontró que los empleadores clasificaron erróneamente a los trabajadores en un proyecto de viviendas asequibles financiado con fondos federales en el Distrito de Columbia, infringiendo las regulaciones federales.

COLLINGDALE, PA – The Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in federal court that orders a Delaware County home care agency to pay more than $1 million in back wages, liquidated damages and penalties after the department found the employer shortchanged 159 workers of their earned wages. 

Employers:    North Central Community Services Program and Affiliates, operating as North Central Health Care in Wausau, Wisconsin

Action:           Complaint filing

Court:             U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin 

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment to recover $152,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for nine people employed by a Bronx medical care provider that routinely failed to pay them overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek because their employer wrongly classified them as exempt from certain federal regulations.

EVANSVILLE, IN – An Evansville diner owner will post a statement for employees and allow a U.S. Department of Labor representative to read its content aloud to inform the employees of their rights to cooperate with federal wage investigators and that the owner is subject to a department lawsuit for retaliating against workers and failing to pay required wages. 

Employer:      Renee’s Helping Hands 

                         Indianapolis, IN

SOUTH BEND, IN – The operator of 61 liquor stores in two states must pay $354,633 in back wages and damages to 156 employees, post a statement and play a recorded video message to inform workers of their right to cooperate with federal wage investigators and notify them that he is subject to a federal lawsuit for retaliating against workers and failing to pay required wages, a U.S. District Court has ordered. 

Who:               U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division          

                        South Carolina Human Affairs Commission