Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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CLEVELAND --

East Palestine China Inc., East Palestine, Ohio, has paid $29,886 in minimum wage and overtime back wages to 56 workers after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation determined that manufacturing and shipping workers and general office staff had not been properly paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

“Employees are entitled to receive the wages they have rightfully earned,” said George Victory, Wage and Hour’s district director in Columbus. “In this case, violations occurred because the employer missed its payroll. However, the goods that the workers produced could not be sold until those workers were paid.” The ‘hot goods’ provision of the FLSA allows the Labor Department to prohibit the sale of goods manufactured in violation of the federal law.

The Wage and Hour Division’s investigation determined that back wages were owed for pay periods covering Feb. 19 through March 4. All of the back wages owed to the workers have been paid in full.

The FLSA requires payment of the minimum wage and of overtime at time and one-half an employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 per week. The FLSA also contains record keeping requirements and youth employment standards.

For more information, call 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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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.