All articles tagged with #back wages
A California federal judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally lowered wages for migrant farmworkers under the H-2A program, ordering the Labor Department to set lawful pay levels and inform employers about potential back wages; the ruling challenges the administration’s cost-cutting justification tied to immigration policy and underscores ongoing tensions between farm labor needs and workers’ pay.
The state of Pennsylvania is searching for 16,000 individuals who are owed a total of $16.4 million in back wages, with 400 of them located in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The U.S. Department of Labor has encountered difficulties in locating these workers due to job and address changes, as well as employers failing to maintain contact information. An online search tool has been created to assist individuals in determining if they are owed money, as unclaimed back wages can only be held for three years before being turned over to the Department of Treasury.
Plaza Azteca, a Mexican chain restaurant with three locations in the Pittsburgh area, has agreed to pay $11.4 million in back wages and damages to over 1,000 employees after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. The investigation found that the restaurant had paid some employees predetermined amounts, resulting in them not receiving minimum wage or overtime pay. The company is also accused of failing to maintain accurate records of work hours and wages. The settlement resolves litigation at more than 40 Plaza Azteca restaurants owned by Ruben Leon in seven states.
Plaza Azteca, an East Coast Mexican restaurant chain, has agreed to pay $11.4 million in back wages and damages after a federal investigation found that the company failed to pay full wages to over 1,000 employees across multiple locations. The investigation revealed that the chain had violated pay practices by not paying minimum wages or overtime to full-time back-of-the-house workers. In addition to the settlement, Plaza Azteca will also pay $625,000 in civil money penalties.
Utah's largest Asian grocery store, Chinatown Supermarket, has been fined $525,000 by the U.S. Department of Labor after a lawsuit and investigation revealed illegal actions, including instructing employees not to cooperate with investigators and underreporting hours worked. The store was required to pay back wages and damages to 148 employees, as well as civil money penalties for overtime violations. The Department of Labor aims to protect workers and ensure employers follow federal pay laws.
Utah's largest Asian grocery store, Chinatown Supermarket, has been fined $525,000 in back wages, damages, and penalties following a lawsuit and investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor. The department found that the store had illegally instructed employees not to cooperate with investigators and had violated overtime pay regulations. The store and its related business were required to pay back wages and damages to employees, as well as civil money penalties for the violations. The Department of Labor emphasized its commitment to holding employers accountable and protecting workers' rights.
Utah's largest Asian grocer, Chinatown Supermarket LLC, has paid $525,000 in back wages, penalties, and damages following an investigation and lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Labor. The grocer faced a federal lawsuit for obstructing an investigation into its labor practices, and a preliminary injunction was obtained when the market attempted to prevent investigators from interviewing employees. Documents revealed that the employer underreported hours and failed to pay overtime wages. In April 2023, a U.S. District Court ordered the grocer to pay back wages, damages, and penalties totaling $251,305. The company has since paid the full amount.
Chinatown Supermarket, one of Utah's largest Asian grocers, has been ordered by the U.S. Department of Labor to pay over $500,000 in back wages and damages to 148 workers. The supermarket was also hit with a preliminary injunction for obstructing investigators and instructing employees to lie about their working hours. The investigation found that the grocer underreported hours and paid a flat rate for overtime instead of time and a half. The consent order requires the supermarket to pay back wages, damages, and civil money penalties.
Six Connecticut restaurants have been ordered to pay over $850,000 to 105 employees for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. The U.S. Department of Labor secured a consent judgment and order, requiring the restaurant owners to compensate employees for back wages, liquidated damages, and withheld tips. The violations included overtime and recordkeeping provisions. The court's decision emphasizes the importance of compliance with labor laws and highlights the department's commitment to protecting workers' rights.
The owners of two orchards in central Washington have agreed to pay $500,000 in back wages and interest to over 400 farmworkers, settling a lawsuit brought by the state attorney general's office. The orchard owners, Rene and Carmen Garcia, were accused of not paying fair earnings to their workers for the fruit they harvested. This settlement comes after a separate lawsuit in 2020 where the Garcias paid $240,000 in wages and damages to seven temporary workers. The settlement also includes requirements for the Garcias to provide payroll reports, conduct self-audits, and improve record-keeping practices.
A Georgia auto repair shop owner who paid a former employee nearly $1,000 in "dirty, oily pennies" has been ordered to pay the man and his coworkers nearly $40,000 for back wages and liquidated damages. The U.S. Department of Labor found that Miles Walker retaliated against Andreas Flaten, who contacted the division after Walker failed to give him his final paycheck. The judge also determined that Walker violated Fair Labor Standards Act overtime provisions by paying Flaten and eight coworkers "straight-time rates for all hours worked."
A restaurant in California, Taqueria Garibaldi, has been ordered to pay $140,000 in back wages and damages to employees after it hired a fake priest to extract workers’ confessions, in what federal investigators are calling “the most shameless” acts of corruption an employer has taken against its staff. The restaurant also denied employees overtime pay, managers were paid bonuses from the employee tip pool and some employees faced “adverse immigration consequences” for cooperating with investigators.
A Georgia auto shop owner has been ordered by a court to pay $39,934 in back wages and damages to nine workers after violating the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime provisions. The decision comes after the owner gave a former employee his final payment in the form of 91,500 oil-covered pennies and published a defamatory statement about him on the company's website. The court also permanently prohibits the owner from violating federal minimum wage and overtime provisions and requires him to remove all references to the former employee from the company website.