Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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MISSION, Texas -- Jessie’s Food Store and Meat Market in Mission, Texas, has agreed to pay $136,203 in back wages after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found 77 cashiers, stockers, cooks and maintenance workers had not been paid the required federal minimum wage or overtime premium.

“The company paid about $190 weekly to employees who worked an average of 51 hours per week,” said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division’s Southwest regional office. “The salary was not sufficient to ensure that the employees received the minimum wage, which is $5.15 per hour. In addition, hourly-paid employees who worked in excess of 40 hours were paid straight time for all hours worked.”

The investigation, covering the period from April 1, 2004 to Aug. 27, 2005, determined that Jessie’s Food Store failed to pay the minimum wage and overtime as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The company, which employs about 90 workers in the Mission area, cooperated with the investigation and has agreed to comply with the FLSA in the future.

The FLSA requires employees to be paid the federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour for all hours worked and time and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a work week. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.

For more information about the FLSA, call the Wage and Hour Division’s San Antonio office at (210) 308-4515 or the U.S. 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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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.