Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that two Santa Fe Springs companies owned and operated by the same family, Universal Asphalt Co., Inc. and DMH Equipment Co., Inc, have agreed to pay $154,139 in back wages to 28 employees. Universal Asphalt Co, Inc., a construction company specializing in paving, excavation and concrete, has agreed to pay $138,840 to 19 employees. DMH Equipment Co, Inc., an equipment rental company, has agreed to pay $15,298 to 9 employees.

“This Administration is committed to ensuring that employees receive the wages they have earned,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “In this case, $154,139 was recovered in back pay for these workers. Through the department’s determined efforts, more than $212 million in back wages were recovered for workers last year.”

According to the investigation conducted by the department’s Wage and Hour Division, 28 employees were working as truck drivers who were required to drive from the job site to the construction site during the course of the work day. However, drivers were not paid for these hours worked.

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires that covered workers be paid one-and-one-half times their regular rates of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a single work week. The law also requires employers to maintain adequate and accurate records of employees’ wages, hours and other conditions of employment.

The Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $212 million in back wages in fiscal year (FY) 2003, a 21 percent increase over the record setting amount of FY 2002. Average days to resolve a complaint decreased in FY 2003 from 129 days to 108 days. WHD assessed employers nearly $10 million in civil money penalties in FY 2003.

For more information, call the Department of Labor’s toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243), or contact the West Covina District Office at (626)966-0478. Information is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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