Labor News
Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than $1.1 million in back wages and damages from operators of a Los Angeles garment contractor that deliberately denied overtime wages to its employees. The department now seeks to distribute these wages to all the workers who earned them.
Labor
Milwaukee group home operator ordered to pay $27K after wage violations
The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a federal court judgment mandating Community Living of Brookfield LLC and its owner, Matthew Sebuliba, to pay $27,184 to 27 caregivers. This amount includes $13,592 in back wages and an equal sum in liquidated damages following an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division. The investigation revealed violations related to overtime, minimum wage, and recordkeeping from March 26, 2021, to March 25, 2023.
Labor
Virginia transportation company ordered to pay $170K in back wages
The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $170,439 in back wages for 60 workers who were denied overtime pay by KDK Transport Co., a non-emergency medical transport company based in Coeburn, Virginia. The Wage and Hour Division's investigation revealed that the company erroneously applied the Motor Carrier Exemption, failing to combine all hours worked by drivers, including driving and wait times, when calculating total weekly hours for overtime wages. This oversight resulted in violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which mandates time-and-a-half pay for...
Labor
Department of Labor finds serious safety violations at Ecore International facilities
AUSTIN, TX – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has revealed significant safety and health violations at Ecore International Inc.'s Mexia plant, one of the largest manufacturers of commercial flooring and surfaces in the nation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted an inspection in January 2024, uncovering more than a dozen violations.
Labor
US Department of Labor recovers $33K for miscalculated wages at tire shop
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that an RNR Tire Express franchise in Davenport, Iowa, failed to include non-discretionary bonuses in the regular rate of pay when calculating overtime pay, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer also did not maintain timecards for hourly paid employees.
Labor
US Department of Labor awards $13.9M for IT pilot programs at Job Corps
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the allocation of up to $13.9 million in funding to support pilot programs aimed at delivering information technology skills, training, and job services to Job Corps students. Management and Training Corp. (MTC) will receive up to $3.9 million, while Net America Corp. will be awarded up to $9.9 million for demonstration projects in the Atlanta and San Francisco regions.
Labor
U.S., Mexico resolve labor issues at RV Fresh under USMCA mechanism
The U.S. Department of Labor announced the successful resolution of a course of remediation addressing alleged labor rights violations at the RV Fresh processing facility in Michoacan, Mexico, under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. The Secretary of Labor and U.S. Trade Representative co-chair the Interagency Labor Committee.
Labor
Investigación federal recupera $238K por horas extra impagas a instaladores solares
GUAYNABO, PR: Una investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de los EE. UU. ha recuperado $238,746 en salarios por horas extras adeudados a 1,024 instaladores de paneles solares y sistemas que trabajaban para una empresa de energía renovable en Puerto Rico que no incluyó varios bonos en sus salarios y calculó incorrectamente los salarios por horas extras.
Labor
New Hampshire roofing company settles wage dispute involving foreign temporary workers
The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $167,101 in back wages for 20 workers employed by a Keene roofing contractor, The Melanson Company, a Tecta America Company LLC. The company was found to have paid incorrect wages and improper overtime to foreign temporary workers under the federal H-2B nonimmigrant program.
Labor
Federal investigation recovers $238K for over 1,000 Puerto Rico solar installers
A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has recovered $238,746 in overtime wages owed to 1,024 solar panel and system installers employed by a renewable energy company in Puerto Rico. The investigation found that the company failed to include various bonuses in their salaries and calculated overtime wages incorrectly.
Labor
Department of Labor updates benefit rules for nuclear workers with beryllium sensitivity
The U.S. Department of Labor announced today a final rule updating eligibility requirements for current and former nuclear weapons workers seeking to file benefits claims related to beryllium sensitivity. The new rule, which will be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 16, makes benefits available to individuals once deemed ineligible.
Labor
Illinois contractor faces penalties for repeated worker safety violations
Federal workplace safety inspectors have cited an Illinois construction contractor for exposing employees to falls from elevation, the leading cause of injury and death in the industry. The violations occurred during residential framing work at four subdivisions under construction in Mahomet and Savoy in January, March, and May 2024.
Labor
Sonoma County restaurant owner fined over $71K for improper overtime exemptions
A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found that one of four restaurants owned by popular Sonoma County chef Octavio Diaz willfully denied three workers at its Healdsburg establishment more than $35,000 in overtime wages.
Labor
US Department of Labor recovers $48K for cooks at Davenport restaurants
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has led to the recovery of $48,914 in back wages and damages for 18 cooks at two Davenport, Iowa locations of El Compita Mexican Bar and Grill. The investigation revealed that the restaurant failed to pay overtime at time and one-half the hourly rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
Labor
US Department of Labor recovers $45K for Walnut Creek restaurant workers denied overtime pay
The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $45,732 in back wages and damages for 14 workers who were denied overtime pay by El Molino Taqueria in Walnut Creek, California. An investigation by the Department's Wage and Hour Division revealed that the restaurant owner did not compensate employees for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, which is a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employer was found to have willfully paid overtime hours at straight-time rates and in cash.
Labor
Connecticut contractor cited by OSHA following fatal New Canaan trench collapse
BRIDGEPORT, CT – An Easton concrete and earthwork contractor could have prevented an employee from suffering fatal injuries in a December 2023 trench collapse at a New Canaan work site but failed to follow federal safety standards for excavations.
Labor
Department of Labor and Dollar General reach agreement on workplace safety improvements
WASHINGTON – El Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. ha anunciado que su Administración de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional ha llegado a un acuerdo corporativo con Dollar General y sus filiales minoristas para realizar mejoras significativas en la seguridad del lugar de trabajo en las tiendas de todo el país.
Labor
Department of Labor announces settlement with Dollar General on workplace safety
The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has reached a corporate-wide settlement with Dollar General and its retail subsidiaries to implement significant workplace safety improvements across stores nationwide.
Labor
Biden-Harris Administration awards over $244M for registered apprenticeships
WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris administration has announced the largest combined federal investment in Registered Apprenticeships to date, with the Department of Labor awarding over $244 million through two grant programs. These funds aim to modernize, diversify, and expand the Registered Apprenticeship system in growing U.S. industries.
Labor
Department of Labor cites steel plant for repeated serious safety violations
Two years after the U.S. Department of Labor included Kyoei Steel LTD in its program for severe violators of federal safety and health regulations, inspectors have returned to the Vinton steel fabrication and recycling facility and found ongoing safety violations.
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