Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Department of Labor has secured an award of back wages for workers, as well as fines and investigation expenses to resolve court actions alleging that a Los Angeles garment manu-facturing business underpaid workers, failed to accurately record their hours of work, shipped hot goods, and illegally employed an underage youth.

Maria Meza of Marie Trinite Fashions is to pay a total of $76,000 under a July 16 court order issued by U.S. District Judge Dickran Tevrizian in Los Angeles.

The Labor Department alleged that Mezas payment of employees by the number of pieces produced rather than a guaranteed amount per hour resulted in her failure to pay the minimum wage, and that she also failed to pay overtime pay as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Labor Departments Wage and Hour Division enforces the FLSA.

"Ms. Meza's failure to cooperate and provide records during our investigation led the department to file a contempt action against her for disregarding court orders," said Don Wiley, director of the Wage and Hour office in East Los Angeles. "We are serious about workers being paid for their work. We are equally serious about pursing court actions when appropriate, including incarceration, against employers who refuse to comply with court orders."

The FLSA requires that covered workers be paid the minimum wage for all hours worked and one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a week. It also restricts the employment of youth. Items that are produced in violation of the FLSA are considered "hot goods" and may not be sold or shipped in interstate commerce. The law also requires covered employers to maintain accurate time and payroll records.

On Jan. 10, 2001, the Department filed a petition in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles to compel the company to comply with a subpoena that the department had issued earlier for records. After failing to appear at a court hearing, respondent Maria Meza was found in contempt of the court on Aug. 8, 2001. On Feb. 19, 2002, the court again found her in contempt and issued a bench warrant for her arrest. On May 22, 2002, Meza was arrested and held overnight for a hearing the next day.

For more information about the provisions of the FLSA, call the Department of Labors toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487- 9243) or contact the East Los Angeles office at (626) 966-0478. Information is also available on the Internet at www.dol.gov.

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