Julie Su Acting United States Secretary of Labor | Official Website
The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $80,346 in wages for 55 employees of UMS Heavy Equipment Rental Inc., a construction subcontractor engaged in debris removal following Typhoon Mawar in Guam. The investigation by the Wage and Hour Division found that the employer violated federal contract labor laws, failing to pay minimum and prevailing wages, fringe benefits, and overtime.
According to the investigation findings, UMS Heavy Equipment Rental Inc. failed to pay $48,843 in minimum wages to 43 workers, $24,764 in fringe benefits to 53 workers, $6,256 in overtime wages to 25 workers, and $483 in prevailing wages to nine workers.
“By their failure to fully meet the President’s Executive Order minimum wage for workers on federal contracts and underpaying earned health and holiday benefits, UMS Heavy Equipment Rental shortchanged people who worked hard to help Guam recover in the wake of Typhoon Mawar,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Terence Trotter in Honolulu. “Thanks to our investigation, dozens of workers have received the wages and benefits they rightfully earned.”
UMS Heavy Equipment Rental is a subcontractor providing trucking and heavy equipment services to major construction companies. A previous investigation in 2021 found similar violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, resulting in $17,308 recovered in back wages for 20 employees and penalties amounting to $7,250.
Workers can use the division’s Workers Owed Wages search tool to check if they are owed back wages collected by the division. Employers and workers can contact the Wage and Hour Division for assistance at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE. Additionally, both parties can ensure accurate hours worked and pay by downloading the department’s Timesheet App available for Android and iOS devices in English or Spanish.
