Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Department of Labor, in conjunction with two divisions of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, will conduct a garment industry compliance assistance workshop for garment contractors in Orange and southern Los Angeles counties. To facilitate the attendance of many Vietnamese and Korean registered garment contractors, they have been invited to the evening session in Garden Grove on Wednesday, May 5, 2004.

The Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division and the two California divisions -- the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and the Employment Development Department - will address employers' rights and responsibilities under state and federal rules including: minimum wage, overtime, child labor, record-keeping, workers compensation, and enforcement and penalties, among others.

"One of my highest priorities is to ensure that vulnerable immigrants are protected," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "That's why the U.S. Department of Labor is reaching out today to over 550 garment contractors and manufacturers in Orange County. This meeting will help employers understand their responsibilities to their workers and also ensure that garment workers are paid a good day's wage for a good day's work."

The two-hour event sponsored by the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) and the Garment Contractors Association, will be held at the Pacific High School Cafeteria at 6851 Lampson Ave., in Garden Grove at 6 p.m. Vietnamese and Korean translators will be available to assist with the presentations and discussion.

The Labor Department has increased compliance assistance to the garment manufacturing industry as part of a special initiative to improve compliance within low-wage industries. Face-to-face meetings with contractors and manufacturers have proven to be one of the most effective ways to improve compliance. Over the past several years, the Wage and Hour Division has conducted more than 500 meetings with garment contractors and industry associations in Southern California.

The Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $212 million in back wages in fiscal year (FY) 2003 -- a 21 percent increase over the record setting amount in FY 2002. Average days to resolve a complaint decreased in FY 2003 from 129 days to 108 days. The Wage and Hour Division assessed employers nearly $10 million in civil money penalties in FY 2003.

For more information about the event please call the Wage and Hour Division area office in Orange County at (714) 621-1650.

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