Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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HOUSTON -- The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit against O’Conner Packaging and Distribution Inc. and owner, Michael J. O’Conner, Houston, Texas, to recover $189,813 in back wages due 103 former and current workers engaged in packaging and labeling services.

An investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division, covering the two-year period Dec. 28, 2002 to Dec. 25, 2004, determined that O’Conner Packaging and Distribution failed to pay proper overtime wages as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) when employees worked more than 40 hours in a workweek.

“This employer was not properly paying its workers, many of whom are immigrants, their overtime pay,” said Cynthia Watson, Wage and Hour regional administrator in Dallas. “Any employee who works overtime hours, must be paid overtime compensation.”

The Labor Department’s complaint was filed in the United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. The FLSA requires employees to be paid minimum wage for all hours worked and time and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 per week. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.

For more information about the FLSA, call the Wage and Hour Houston office at (713) 339-5500 or the Department of Labor’s toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243). Information is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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