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.
The department’s Wage and Hour Division is actively trying to locate workers who have yet to collect the overtime wages owed by Good Cash LLC, its associated entities – Good Cash Inc., Premium Quality Apparel LLC, and Premium Quality Apparel Inc. – and owners Ramon Tecum and Marisela Romero. The investigation determined that employers denied overtime wages to 165 people, many of whom worked an average of 52 hours per week.
So far, the division has returned nearly two-thirds of the $1.1 million collected to affected workers and remains determined to identify and locate the remaining individuals who stand to benefit.
“Despite attempts to cover their tracks, these employers have been held accountable for intentionally shortchanging their garment workers’ overtime pay,” explained Wage and Hour Division District Director Kimchi Bui in Los Angeles. “Garment workers depend on the wages they’re paid to make ends meet. Our primary concern now is ensuring that people once employed by these unscrupulous employers get the justice they deserve and the wages they earned.”
If you or someone you know was employed by any of these companies between Aug. 3, 2021, and Aug. 31, 2023, please contact the division’s Los Angeles District Office at (213) 894-6375 to find out if they are owed back wages and damages.
The division recovered the back wages and damages as part of a consent judgment obtained in December 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The department’s Office of the Solicitor had sued the garment contractors and company owners alleging they failed to pay required wages and falsified pay records. The department also alleged that fraudulent checks were issued, and attempts were made to interfere with investigators by pretending to be workers.
Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. Employers and workers can call confidentially with questions regardless of their location. The division can communicate with callers in more than 200 languages through its toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Additionally, download the agency’s new Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices – free and available in English and Spanish – for tracking hours and pay.
This news release is also available in Spanish.
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