DOL Opens ‘One-Stop’ Compliance Assistance Shop on Border
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has opened a new district office in the Rio Grande Valley at 320 N. Main Street, Room 238 in McAllen, Texas.
McAllen, the largest city in Hidalgo County, is located at the southern tip of Texas, about 70 miles west of South Padre Island and the Gulf of Mexico. The city’s southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.-Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa and the Rio Grande River.
“I am very excited about this office opening,” said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division in the Southwest. “The department now will be able to provide better customer service to the people of South Texas and one-stop shop for employers seeking compliance assistance concerning the federal labor laws we enforce.”
The McAllen District Office, formerly an area office of the San Antonio District, will have oversight for agency enforcement throughout the state. It also will connect employees, employers, and community-based organizations with the resources and assistance needed to ensure that workers in low-wage industries -- including laborers on federal construction and service contracts -- are paid fairly for all hours worked.
Anyone who wishes to receive wage and hour information, file a complaint, or ask a question about requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Protection Act, or another act enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, can visit or telephone the McAllen office at 956-682-4631. In addition to English, the staff offers language assistance in Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.
For more information about laws the Wage and Hour Division administers, visit www.dol.gov/whd or call the division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).