Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Printer-Friendly Version

Press Releases

SAN FRANCISCO -- A cable installer has agreed to pay $350,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 106 current and former workers in the Las Vegas area following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.

The federal investigators found that employees of Pratt Communications Inc., a subcontractor to Cox Communications, headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., did not receive the federal minimum wage or overtime pay required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) although they worked in excess of 40 hours a week. Kevin Pratt and Alfredo Quesada, principals of Pratt Communications, have signed a consent judgment, entered into the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada agreeing to the payments.

Back-wage checks for the piece rate workers also will include a combined $7,164 in post-judgment interest on the overdue back wages and liquidated damages. The employees will receive payments for work performed between June 1, 2003, and February 15, 2007. Amounts owed range from $70 to $20,220 before deductions.

“We have seen ongoing problems in the cable installation industry that we will not ignore,” said George Friday Jr., regional administrator for the West of the Wage and Hour Division. “The Labor Department is committed to the strong enforcement of federal labor laws to ensure that workers receive the wages to which they are legally entitled.”

The FLSA requires that covered employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage, which rose from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour on July 1, 2007, and receive overtime at one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.

The Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division concluded 30,467 compliance actions and recovered a record $220 million in back wages for more than 341,000 employees in fiscal year 2007. Back-wage collections in fiscal year 2007 represent a 67 percent increase over back wages collected in fiscal year 2001. The number of workers receiving back wages has increased by 58 percent since fiscal year 2001.

The Wage and Hour Division offers a Web site, www.wagehour.dol.gov, to help employers understand their FLSA obligations. Additionally, an online tool – the elaws FLSA Overtime Security Advisor at www.dol.gov/elaws/overtime.htm – is available for determining overtime eligibility. For additional information, call the Wage and Hour Division’s office in Las Vegas at 672-388-6001 or the Department of Labor’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (866-487-9243).

###

U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7828 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.