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Court orders Minnesota carnival operators to pay $146K in back wages to temporary foreign workers denied wages, $63K in civil money penalties Employers:    GoldStar Amusements Inc., owner Michael Featherston, Fairbault, Minnesota                         Lee’s Concessions Inc., owner Connie Featherston, Fairbault, Minnesota          Action:           U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge decisionCourt:             U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges, Cincinnati, OhioCourt action: U.S. Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge Steven Bell issued a decision on March 13, 2024, affirming the findings of a Wage and Hour Division investigation that determined — during their 2016 and 2017 seasons — carnival operators GoldStar Amusements Inc. and Lee’s Concessions Inc. did not pay prevailing wages, pay inbound and outbound transportation costs, and keep accurate earning statements for foreign workers employed under the H-2B visa program. The program permits employers to hire nonimmigrant workers to perform temporary nonagricultural work on a one-time, seasonal, peak load or intermittent basis.The decision follows hearings held in January and July 2023 before Administrative Law Judge Steven Bell and affirmed the division’s violations.Wages and damages recovered:      $146,243 to 55 employeesPenalties assessed:     $63,584 in civil money penalties. Quote: “The H-2B visa program includes very specific terms regarding wages, transportation and other requirements, which are clearly defined for employers when they apply to hire foreign workers,” said Wage and Hour District Director Kristin Tout in Minneapolis. “Employers such as these are legally responsible for knowing and complying with federal wage laws.”Background: Owned by Michael Featherston, GoldStar Amusements provides amusement rides at carnivals and fairs while Lee’s Concessions — owned by Michael’s spouse, Connie Featherston — provides food and games at carnivals and fairs. Both companies share principal offices in Faribault. Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division and how to file an online complaint. For confidential compliance assistance, employees and employers can call the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243), regardless of where they are from.Download the agency’s new Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices – also available in Spanish –to ensure hours and pay are accurate.Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, United States Department of Labor V. GoldStar Amusements Inc., Lee’s Concessions Inc.Case Nos. 2021-Tne-00027; 2021-Tne-00028
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Department of Labor holds PrimeLending vice president, managers liable after employees fired for reporting consumer fraud concerns SAN FRANCISCO ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered a former senior vice president and two managers employed by PrimeLending to pay $35,000 in emotional damages and the legal fees of two California employees who the company fired illegally after they reported a branch manager pressured them to pass on fees to loan applicants caused by the company’s internal processing delays. Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found the nationwide lender violated whistleblower provisions in the Consumer Financial Protection Act by terminating the employees who raised their concerns with a regional manager and senior vice president of Human Resources. “Employees who report potential consumer fraud are protected by federal law against retaliation of any kind. Under the Consumer Financial Protection Act’s whistleblower provisions, managers can be fined personally for retaliation,” explained OSHA Regional Administrator James D. Wulff in San Francisco. “In this case, OSHA fined three PrimeLending managers for trying to prevent workers’ concerns from coming to light. The U.S. Department of Labor will not tolerate retaliatory actions against workers exercising their rights and those responsible for such actions will be held accountable.”In addition to payment of personal damages, OSHA ordered PrimeLending to pay an undisclosed amount in lost back wages and interest to the employees. The company must also expunge the employment records of both employees, post an anti-retaliation notice at all its branches and train its employees about their rights under the Consumer Financial Protection Act.The company and the managers sanctioned may appeal OSHA’s order to the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges. PrimeLending is a Dallas-based national mortgage lender and wholly owned subsidiary of PlainsCapital Bank, also a subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings Inc.OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the Consumer Financial Protection Act and 24 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various motor vehicle safety, commercial motor carrier, airline, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, healthcare reform, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities, tax, antitrust, and anti-money laundering laws and for engaging in other related protected activities. For more information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage. Editor’s note: The U.S. Department of Labor does not release the names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.
http://www.dol.gov/newsroom/re....leases/osha/osha2024


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Department of Labor recovers nearly $100K in wages, damages for 31 misclassified Oklahoma construction workers Employer name:                      Future Inc.Investigation sites:               10216 Oak Dr                                                        Newalla, OK 74857Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found Future Inc. – a dirt work contractor serving commercial, industrial and residential clients – misclassified 31 construction workers employed to complete major projects in a multi-state area as independent contractors. Future Inc. violated federal law by failing to pay the required time and one-half its employees’ hourly wages for hours worked over 40 per workweek. In 2023, the division found more than $35.5 million in owed wages for construction industry workers. On Jan. 10, 2024, the department published a final rule, effective March 11, revising the department’s guidance on how to analyze who is an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Learn more about the final rule.Back wages recovered:  $49,940 in owed wages and $49,940 in liquidated damages to 31 workers.                Quote: “Misclassifying employees as independent contractors denies workers minimum wage, overtime pay and other protections, and can lead to unfair competition among industry employers,” said Wage and Hour District Director Michael Speer in Oklahoma City. “Misclassification can also deny workers employment benefits and protections such as Social Security, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation and family and medical leave. Employers must ensure their hiring practices align with the law to avoid costly violations.”Lea en Español
http://www.dol.gov/newsroom/re....leases/whd/whd202403


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El Departamento de Trabajo recupera casi $100K en salarios, daños y perjuicios para 31 trabajadores de construcción en Oklahoma Nombre de la empresa:                    Future Inc.Lugares de la investigación:           10216 Oak Dr.                                                                        Newalla, OK 74857Resultados de la investigación: La División de Horas y Salarios del Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. descubrió que Future Inc., una empresa contratista de obras de tierra que presta servicios a clientes comerciales, industriales y residenciales, clasificó erróneamente como contratistas independientes a 31 trabajadores de construcción empleados para completar grandes proyectos en una zona de varios estados. Future Inc. transgredió la legislación federal ya que no pagó la compensación extra adecuada por cada hora trabajada por encima de las 40 horas semanales. En 2023, la división descubrió más de $35.5 millones en salarios adeudados para los trabajadores de la industria de la construcción. El 10 de enero de 2024, el departamento publicó una norma final, en vigor desde el 11 de marzo, que revisa las directrices del departamento sobre cómo analizar quién es empleado o contratista independiente según la Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo. Más información sobre la norma final.Salarios atrasados recuperados: $49,940 en salarios adeudados y $49,940 en daños liquidados a 31 trabajadores.                                        Cita: “Clasificar erróneamente a los empleados como contratistas independientes niega a los trabajadores el salario mínimo, el pago de horas extras y otras protecciones, y puede dar lugar a una competencia desleal entre los empleadores del sector”, dijo el Director de Distrito de Horas y Salarios, Michael Speer, en Oklahoma City. “La clasificación errónea también puede negar a los trabajadores beneficios y protecciones laborales como el Seguro Social, el seguro de desempleo, la compensación de los trabajadores y la baja médica y familiar. Los empresarios deben asegurarse de que sus prácticas de contratación se ajustan a la ley para evitar infracciones costosas”.Read in English
http://www.dol.gov/newsroom/re....leases/whd/whd202403


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ICYMI: Acting Secretary Su’s op-ed reflects on workers movement on 113th anniversary of Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su penned an op-ed reflecting on the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire published in Teen Vogue on March 25, 2024, the fire’s 113th anniversary. In it, the Acting Secretary recalled the lives lost — the majority of which were immigrant women — and how it began the legacy of former Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, who witnessed the fire in downtown New York City. The op-ed also referenced the work of President Biden’s administration to enforce labor laws, uphold safety standards and empower workers to speak up, and the Acting Secretary’s experience in advocating for today’s immigrant workers in the garment industry. “Secretary of Labor Julie Su on the Worker Movement 113 Years After the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire” includes the following excerpts:“This Women’s History Month, I’m reflecting on Frances Perkins’ legacy and how she turned the unheard voices of those immigrant women into a call to action. Frances became a driving force behind programs that generations of Americans have relied on for economic security and dignity, including a nationwide minimum wage, health and safety regulations, restrictions on child labor and more.”“I saw this early in my career. In 1995, 72 Thai garment workers were being forced to work behind barbed wire and under armed guard in a suburb of Los Angeles called El Monte. These workers, who were overwhelmingly women, were trafficked to the United States. They had been lured by the promise of the American dream, only to find themselves confronting injustice, just as the Triangle factory workers had decades earlier.”“To create change, it has taken workers using their voices to fight for their basic rights. I’ve asked my team at the Department of Labor to use every tool we have to support and empower workers in that fight. For example, earlier this year, we recovered more than $1 million for 165 workers whose employer had denied them overtime wages and then tried to conceal the wage theft. To date, this is the Department’s largest settlement ever for California garment workers.” “In addition to enforcing laws that protect workers, in the Biden-Harris administration we’re making sure that women, women of color and people who have historically been shut out of opportunities can get good-quality jobs.” “The Department of Labor and the Biden-Harris administration will continue to answer that call — the call of the women who came before us — with vigilance. We are fighting to enforce labor laws, uphold safety standards, and empower workers to speak up, speak out, and organize. As we remember those who lost their lives in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, we reaffirm that we cannot rest until that work is done.”
http://www.dol.gov/newsroom/re....leases/osec/osec2024


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