Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Department of Labor has begun delivering $329,000 in back wage checks to workers formerly employed by defunct Saipan garment contractor La Mode Inc. Just over 80 of 207 La Mode workers have submitted the necessary paperwork required for back wage payment. The Labor Department continues to seek the remaining workers who are owed back wages for overtime worked between Dec. 6, 2004 and Jan. 16, 2005.

“These workers earned this money, but never received the payment,” said George Friday, Jr. regional administrator of the department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) which conducted the investigation of La Mode. “We now have the funds to pay them, but do not have current addresses for many of them. We want to reach every former garment worker due back wages, and will be accepting fax and phone inquiries from anyone with contact information.”

La Mode was producing goods for Jones Apparel Inc., of Bristol, Pa.; Lerner, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio; and Flight Club LLC headquartered in South Rivera, N.J. during the period in which La Mode failed to properly pay the overtime compensation due the workers. These manufacturers provided the funds to cover La Mode’s outstanding back wage liability.

The Labor Department is also seeking 764 former workers who were employed by Marianas Garment Manufacturing and 332 from Marianas Fashions Inc. The employees of these companies are also due back wages for overtime performed between April 7, 1997 and April 7, 1999 and Dec. 1, 1997 and April 30, 1999, respectively. None of the former workers from these two businesses has come forward to claim their back wages. Most of the former workers have moved or left Saipan since their last contact with the department.

Workers who believe they may be due back wages from these employers are encouraged to contact the U.S. Labor Department by fax at (415) 848-6655 or by sending an e-mail to Llacer.Tessie@dol.gov.

For general information about the FLSA, call the Department of Labor’s toll-free helpline at (866) 4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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