Ross' Supplier in L.A. Ordered to Pay Back Wages for Labor Violations

A Vernon-based manufacturer that supplies clothing for Ross Stores has been ordered to pay $212,000 in back wages to 270 employees of its subcontractors for violating federal minimum wage and overtime requirements, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday.

The consent judgment handed down by a Los Angeles federal judge also requires YN Apparel to hire an independent, third-party monitor to ensure its 13 contractor sewing shops comply with the overtime, minimum wage and record- keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

“We are using all means necessary to bring justice for L.A.’s garment workers, whether that means enforcement, outreach and education, or going up the supply chain to engage the retailers selling these clothes,” said David Weil, administrator of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division.

“We should not continue to see 19th century sweatshop conditions in 21st century Los Angeles,” he said.

In the last five years, Southern California officials have concluded more than 1,000 investigations in the garment industry, resulting in more than $11.7 million owed in back wages, according to the department.

Federal labor law requires that employers pay nonexempt workers at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour plus time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 40 in one week. Employers must also keep accurate time and payroll records.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock