State Garment Raids Net $600,000 in Fines
In a two-day sweep of garment factories in Los Angeles and Orange counties, state officials cited more than 70 manufacturers for violating several labor rules.
The raids on Oct. 10 and 11 resulted in 100 citations totaling $600,000, said Dean Fryer, spokesperson for the state Department of Industrial Relations.
Ten teams of investigators were sent out to conduct the sweeps. Garments were seized from eight businesses that were operating illegally.
Fines were given for not paying the state minimum wage of $7.50 an hour, failure to provide wage-deduction statements, not carrying workers’ compensation insurance, not renewing or having licenses and other violations.
The Labor Department has been conducting mini-raids around the region on an almost monthly basis.“We are here to ensure that the garment industry properly pays its employees and that the rights, protections and safety of these workers are safeguarded,” said California Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet. —Deborah Belgum
