Fallout From Labor Dept. Sweep Continues
In an update of a California Department of Industrial Relations report on its recent investigation, the agency revealed additional labor law violations found at local contractors. The DIR said that, in a three-day surprise sweep of Southern California garment shops, its labor and workplace safety enforcement agencies discovered nine companies operating without mandatory licenses and assessed more than $1 million in fines.
Dean Fryer, a spokesperson for the DIR, said that six teams inspected 32 garment manufacturers and contractors based in Los Angeles and Orange County from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. (The DIR oversees the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which enforces the regulations of California’s Occupational Health & Safety Administration.) Of the 32 shops, only one, C&T Fashion, was found to be in full compliance with the labor and workplace laws, he said.
The DLSE wrote more than $600,000 in fines and issued more than 50 citations for violations, including the use of child labor and the failure to pay overtime. OSHA issued nearly $500,000 in fines for 134 safety violations. Fryer said the most common violations involved electrical hazards and unguarded pulleys and belts on sewing machines and other equipment. Fryer said the DIR has cases pending on five companies whose payrolls are being audited. He added that the companies can file an appeal generally within 15 business days.
The companies found to be in violation included Fashion Wild Cat, Blue Tattoo Jeans Inc., C&C Apparel Inc. and Eclipse Fashions. None could be reached for comment.
Ahn Inkook, manager of E-Goo Inc., said he will meet with agency representatives on Dec. 16 to negotiate the fines. Los Angeles–based E-Goo, which employs 11 workers and makes juniors shirts, was cited for child labor and record-keeping violations. Inkook said the one worker whom the inspectors believed to be a child was actually over the age of 18. He also said he will fix the problems at the company and hire a business consultant.
The DIR’s report was an update on the findings that the DLSE first released on Dec. 1. The DIR conducted the reports in cooperation with the Employment Development Department, the U.S. Department of Labor and the California Conservation Corps. —Khanh T.L. Tran
