November 17, 2015

WHD News Brief: Florida Dept. of Corrections to pay 294 health care workers more than $723K in back wages after failing to pay overtime [11/17/2015]

Employer name: Florida Dept. of Corrections

Investigation site: Prison health units throughout the State of Florida

November 16, 2015

WHD News Brief: US Labor Department investigation finds over 450 Family and Medical Leave Act violations at St. Mary's Health Care System Inc. in Athens, Georgia[11/16/2015]

Employer name: St. Mary's Health Care System Inc.

Investigation site: 1230 Baxter St., Athens, Georgia 30606

November 12, 2015

WHD News Release: News Release: Farmer, staffing firm debarred from H-2A visa program after falsifying documents for temporary, foreign workers at Volga, South Dakota, dairy [11/12/2015]

VOLGA, S.D. — A federal administrative law judge upheld the findings of a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation that led to the debarment of a Volga dairy farmer and an Aberdeen-based employment agency from a program that allows employers to hire temporary foreign labor for agricultural work. The judge also agreed that the dairy farmer owed $38,173 in wages to 15 U.S. workers after the domestic employees received lower earnings than the foreign workers.

November 3, 2015

WHD News Brief: Court orders Ideal Discount Market in New Orleans to pay employees $403K in overtime back wages [11/03/2015]

Date of Action: Nov. 3, 2015

Type of Action: Consent Judgment

Name of Defendant: Ideal Discount Market, 250 S. Broad Inc. doing business as Ideal Discount Market; Kaki and Son LLC doing business as Ideal Market #6; Kaki Inc. doing business as Ideal Discount Market #1; Morales Brothers LLC doing business as Ideal Market; Rampart Fuel LLC doing business as Ideal Market; and P.R. Enterprises Inc. doing business as Ideal Discount Market #4; and two individuals Muwafak "Mike" Kaki and Gassan "Jimmy" Kaki.

November 2, 2015

WHD News Release: US Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division opens new office in Helena, Montana [11/02/2015]

HELENA, Mont. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has opened a new field office in Helena to connect employees, employers, community organizations and other stakeholders with resources and assistance to ensure compliance with federal labor laws. The new office is located in the Max Baucus Federal Building, at 10 West 15th St., Suite 1800, Helena, MT 59626.

October 28, 2015

WHD News Brief: Department of Labor sues MOBIS North America for firing worker seeking time off under Family and Medical Leave Act [10/28/2015]

Type of Action: Family and Medical Leave Act Complaint Filing

Names of Defendants: MOBIS North America LLC

Complaint: The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit in federal court seeking reinstatement, back wages and employment benefits of approximately $100,000 and an equal amount in liquidated damages for an automotive plant worker fired by MOBIS North America LLC in Toledo.

October 28, 2015

WHD News Release: US Labor Department offers free compliance assistance seminars in November for Florida agricultural employers, farm labor contractors [10/28/2015]

TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division will host free compliance assistance seminars for Florida agricultural employers and farm labor contractors to help promote compliance with the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act and the H-2A temporary worker program.

October 27, 2015

WHD News Release: J&J Snack Foods pays more than $2.1M in back wages, damages to 677 temporary workers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania [10/27/2015]

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. — Two federal investigations have found that temporary production line workers at J&J Snack Foods Corp., a leading North American manufacturer and distributor of popular food and beverages, were significantly cheated out of their wages by the company and two staffing firms hired to provide the workers.

October 26, 2015

WHD News Release: Buffet restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia, agrees to pay more than $227K in back wages, interest to 13 kitchen workers [10/26/2015]

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — For the kitchen workers at an Alexandria restaurant, making ends meet was a never-ending challenge, and working long, exhausting hours didn't help.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that Wah Feng LLC, doing business as Win Buffet, a full-service buffet restaurant in Alexandria, did not pay employees minimum wage and overtime, as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

October 23, 2015

WHD News Release: US Labor Department conducting wage survey of building and heavy construction industries in New Hampshire [10/23/2015]

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is conducting a statewide building and heavy construction survey in New Hampshire to collect data on wages paid to workers on all active building and heavy construction projects in New Hampshire between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015. This survey is not limited to federally funded construction projects. The information provided will help establish prevailing wage rates, as required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

October 22, 2015

WHD News Release: Owners agree to change employment practices at 4 companies after US Labor Department finds significant wage violations at Michigan hotel [10/22/2015]

GRAYLING, Mich. — Workers in the hotel industry are hard-working people who greet us with a smile as they welcome us. Many of these workers earn low wages and often struggle to meet basic needs. This challenge is made even more difficult when employers fail to pay them properly for the jobs they perform.

U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found significant minimum wage and overtime violations at the Ramada Hotel Grayling, operated by Wellston, Michigan-based Satnaam Ji Inc.

October 20, 2015

WHD News Brief: Judge orders enforcement of US Labor Department subpoena to Connecticut employer [10/20/2015]

Date of action: Sept. 18, 2015

Type of action: Ruling on petition for enforcement of subpoena

Name(s) of defendant: LaserShip, Inc., dba LaserShip

October 15, 2015

WHD News Brief: U.S. Labor Department finds Ohio glass company owes more than $46K in unpaid wages, damages and penalties [10/15/2015]

Date of Action: Oct. 2, 2015

Type of Action: Fair Labor Standards Act Lawsuit

Names of Defendants: Greenville Architectural Glass LLC, Gail A. Cooper

October 15, 2015

WHD News Brief: OSHA finds improper load rigging caused fatal worker injury in Lincoln, Nebraska [10/15/2015]

Employer name: CBS Pilings Solutions Inc., Riverside, Missouri

Citations received: Oct. 14, 2015

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Omaha Area Office cited the drilling contractor for three serious safety violations, after a 42-year-old worker was fatally injured on a job site in Lincoln, Nebraska on June 24, 2015.

October 15, 2015

WHD News Brief: Federal Judge orders Salt Lake City house flipper to stop falsifying records and interfering with US Labor Department investigation [10/15/2015]

Date of Action: Sept. 22, 2015

Type of Action: Preliminary Injunction

Names of Defendants: Foreclosure Connection, Inc. and its owner Jason Williams

Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, Central Division, Salt Lake City

October 13, 2015

WHD News Brief: US Labor Department obtains judgment ordering Brooklyn day care chain to pay back wages and not retaliate against employees [10/13/2015]

Employer name: Flowers of the Sun Inc., doing business as Ilene's Sunflower, and Ilene Lieberman

Investigation site: 366 President St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11231

October 8, 2015

WHD News Brief: Tempe, Arizona medical transport company to pay more than $33K in back wages to 38 drivers and dispatchers [10/08/2015]

Employers: Hope Medical Transportation

Sites: 2231 S. 48th Street, Suite 104, Tempe, Arizona, 85282

Investigation findings: Wage and Hour investigators established that Hope Medical Transportation, a non-emergency medical transportation company, did not pay overtime to workers paid on a salary basis when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek. The employer failed to keep an accurate record of hours worked, and misclassified most of its drivers as independent contractors until January 2014.

October 8, 2015

WHD News Brief: Lawsuit seeks nearly $60K in back wages and damages for employees of debt settlement service referral company [10/08/2015]

Date of Action: Sept. 16, 2015

Type of Action: Fair Labor Standards Lawsuit

Names of Defendants: Marketing Solutions Group Inc., d/b/a Wise Debt Relief; d/b/a GoWize; d/b/a Consumers Legal Center and Michael S. Gross

Allegations: An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found Marketing Solutions Group Inc. and its owner, Michael Gross violated the FLSA's overtime and minimum wage provisions.

October 6, 2015

WHD News Brief: Tampa, Fla., restaurant denies workers minimum wage and overtime pay [10/06/2015]

Employer name: Wei's Hibachi Buffet LLC, doing business as Hibachi Buffet

Investigation site: 13151 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, Florida 33618