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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

DALLAS — Following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, prime contractor Williams Brothers Construction in Houston and subcontractors Cimolai USA and Cosme have agreed to collectively pay $136,679 in back wages to 140 current and former construction employees for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Davis-Bacon Act and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act. The workers were performing work on the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge project over the Trinity River in Dallas.

Asian Journal agrees to pay nearly $516,500 to 32 employees plus a $40,000 penalty

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that it has debarred Asian Journal Publications from using the H-1B visa program to hire temporary workers.

TAMPA, Fla. — Following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, GeoPharma Inc. has agreed to pay $1,360,098 in back wages to 187 employees for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

"Employees have the right to expect that they will receive full pay on time for their work, and the Labor Department will not sit by while employers attempt to evade their responsibilities," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

Interpretation is a win for all families no matter what they look like

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today clarified the definition of "son and daughter" under the Family and Medical Leave Act to ensure that an employee who assumes the role of caring for a child receives parental rights to family leave regardless of the legal or biological relationship.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the implementation of tougher penalties against employers that illegally employ child workers.

"Protecting our youngest workers is one of this department's top priorities. Beginning today, employers who hire children too young to work will face stiffer penalties," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Work is not child's play. When children do work, that work must be age appropriate, safe and positive, and, it must not interfere with their schooling."

SEATTLE — An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has resulted in the payment of more than $4.2 million in back wages owed to 603 employees of Hermiston, Ore.-based EG&G Technical Services for work at the Umatilla Chemical Depot in Umatilla, Ore.