EEEC Sweep of LA Area Garment Industry Nets 42 Citations
The Labor and Workforce Development Agency announced that Economic Employment Enforcement Coalition (EEEC) investigators issued 42 citations for labor law violations with fines totaling $457,000 in a recent sweep of 22 garment manufacturers in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The coalition said its enforcement actions uncovered serious violations in the industry that included failure to register, pay the minimum wage, maintain worker's comp insurance, pay overtime, provide itemized deductions to employees, and keep records and post labor notices as mandated by law. In addition, clothing was confiscated at six locations.
"Many of these garment manufacturers failed to comply with the law as we found multiple labor law violations at many locations," said EEEC Director David Dorame. "Their illegal actions cannot be allowed to continue. By targeting enforcement against these illegal operators, we help level the playing field for law abiding businesses."
To request a complete list of the violations and businesses cited, email the Department of Industrial Relations at [email protected]. Launched in July of 2005 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the EEEC is a multi-agency task force designed to root out California's underground economy by enforcing state labor laws and educating business owners and workers about those laws and regulations in workshops held regularly statewide. Businesses engaged in the underground economy deprive the state and legitimate businesses of millions of dollars each year, and in many cases, pass the cost on to the consumer, EEEC says.
During unannounced enforcement sweeps, the EEEC targets businesses that avoid labor, tax, and licensing laws; safety and health regulations; and carrying workers’ comp insurance for their employees. EEEC is currently targeting garment, agriculture, construction, pallet, auto body, car wash, and restaurant businesses--industries have been identified as having a high incidence of workplace violations and a lack of regulatory compliance. For more information on the coalition, visit www.dir.ca.gov. Employees with work-related questions or complaints can call the toll-free California Workers’ Information Hotline at 1-866-924-9757, available in English and Spanish.