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July 19, 2003    DOL Home > ESA > WHD > Garment > Report: Jul. - Sep. 2000

Garment Enforcement Report: July 2000 - September 2000

Wage & Hour Division
U.S. Department of Labor
Alexis M. Herman, Secretary

FY 2000 Fourth Quarter Garment Enforcement Report

During the fourth quarter of FY 2000, the U.S. Department of Labor recovered $836,128 in back wages for 1,263 garment workers. The report lists 40 contractors and 38 manufacturers that were found in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The department's Wage and Hour Division conducted a total of 125 investigations nationwide, finding violations in some 58 percent, or 73 of the cases. Civil money penalties of $273,748 were assessed for repeat and willful violations of the FLSA.


FY 2000 Fourth Quarter Garment Enforcement Report

The Department of Labor is committed to eradicating garment sweatshops and bringing the garment industry into compliance with U.S. labor laws. Encouraging manufacturers to be aware of which contractors consistently violate the law, and to monitor formally their contractors for compliance with minimum wage and overtime laws, is an important step toward the goal of bringing long lasting positive changes for workers in the industry.

To that end, the Department of Labor has developed a multi-pronged strategy of enforcement, education and partnerships to eradicate worker abuse in the U.S. garment industry.

Enforcement

The Wage and Hour Division conducts targeted enforcement sweeps in major garment centers and notifies manufacturers of the "hot goods" provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act which prevents the shipment of goods made in violation by contractors.

Education

Through its garment public service announcement initiative, the Department utilizes print and radio public service announcements and a new Internet World Wide Web site to provide information to consumers interested in helping to combat worker abuse.

Partnerships

Working with retailers, manufacturers, unions, consumer groups, religious organizations, worker advocates, and other concerned parties, the Department of Labor serves as the catalyst for collective action.

This report consists of a contractors and manufacturers list and enforcement statistics for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, July 1, 2000 through September 30, 2000. The manufacturers list contains the names of firms Wage and Hour has contacted to notify them that contractors with whom they do business have been investigated and found to violate the FLSA.

We have designated by bold face type firms that appeared on prior reports.

The Department of Labor believes that manufacturer monitoring programs are an important tool for improving contractor compliance with the FLSA. Wage and Hour staff are available to provide technical assistance to any company that would like to learn how to implement an effective monitoring program. The phone number of the Wage and Hour office closest to you can be found in the government blue pages section of the phone book, listed under U.S. Labor Department, Employment Standards, Wage and Hour Division.

Enforcement in 2 Major Garment Centers

July 2000 - September 2000

Map of U.S. highlighting data of CA & NY found in table (below).

Garment Enforcement Summary
July 2000 - September 2000
 

TOTAL

SOUTHWEST

NEW YORK

SOUTHEAST

CALIFORNIA

U.S. Territories

Number of Investigations Conducted

125

6

74

6

34

5

Number of Investigations with Violations

73

2

41

2

25

3

Amount of Back Wages Recovered

$836,128

$947

$513,382

$3,704

$212,961

$105,134

Number of Receiving Back Wages

1,263

2

742

16

337

166

Civil Fines Imposed

$273,748

$0

$37,360

$1,680

$234,708

$0


Apparel Manufacturers Contacted
July 2000 - September 2000 How the list was compiled:

As part of its enforcement process, the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division contacts a garment manufacturer when an investigation reveals that a sewing contractor with whom the manufacturer does business has violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Listed below are the names of manufacturers contacted between July 1, 2000 and September 30, 2000 and informed of contractor violations. In a few cases the manufacturer contact occurred earlier, but inclusion of the case in the report was delayed. The contractors and manufacturers are included on this list based on investigative findings of violations, not a judicial determination that any firm has violated the law.

Except where noted, the violations have been resolved and back wages paid by either the contractor or the manufacturer. Payment of back wages does not constitute an admission of liability by any firm.

Only cases in which Wage and Hour found back wages due in excess of $1,000, whether for employees of a contractor or manufacturer, are included on the list. Manufacturers on the list did not necessarily receive goods produced in violation of the FLSA for which back wages were owed, or pay all or part of the back wages: Wage and Hour notifies manufacturers of violations by contractors with whom they did business during the relevant time frame regardless of whether the goods involved were produced for that manufacturer. The manufacturer may or may not still be doing business with the contractor.

The contractors are listed in descending order by the amount of back wages found due. The severity of contractors' violations, however, cannot be compared on the basis of the dollar amounts on this list. Back wage amounts paid to contractor employees vary based upon the facts, circumstances and time periods involved. When there has been no final determination of whether there were any FLSA violations, or, where there were violations, of the amount of back wages owed, the case is listed at the end of the Report with the notation "In Dispute" in the back wage column.

Footnotes designate manufacturers that were contacted because of their own violations; manufacturers that have agreed to monitor or are monitoring their contractors for future compliance; manufacturers that appear for the first time on a Garment Enforcement Report; and amounts assessed in civil money penalties for child labor violations. Firms that have been included on prior Reports are in boldface type.

The Report presents all information available to the Department of Labor as of the date of publication with respect to the reported investigations.

This list does not constitute an endorsement by the federal government of any company, nor does it constitute disapproval of any company.

Apparel Manufacturers Contacted
July 2000 - September 2000

Contractor

Back wages found by Wage & Hour
to be due contractor employees

Manufacturers Identified as Doing Business
with Contractor During Investigation Period

Fashion B & L, Inc.
40-22 College Point Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11355

$50,000

R & D Dress Fashion, Ltd. 3
301 Winding Rd.
Old Bethpage, NY 11804

I.S.B. 2
1400 Broadway
New York, NY 10018

First Winning
33-67 35th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11232

$45,320

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

JWC
41-06 Delong St.
Flushing, NY 11355

$41,983

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

G&J
55 Elizabeth St.
New York, NY 10013

$34,114

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

Bo Bo 168
353 39th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211

$31,054

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

Cathay
2 E. Broadway
New York, NY 10013

$28,573

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

Welltone
128 Mott St.
New York, NY 10013

$26,575

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

Unique Princess
12620 Westminister Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92706

$24,522

Surf & Turf of CA 2
6891 Florence Pl.
Bell Garden , CA 90201

Wah Lung
60-18 60th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11204

$21,456

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

FIC
759 65th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11228

$21,393

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

ABC Garment Factory
40-22 College Point Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11355

$20,561

I.S.B. 2
1400 Broadway
New York, NY 10018

U May, Inc.
109-09 15th Ave.
Flushing, NY 11355

$19,955

Hanky Panky
373 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10016

Stallion 3
900 Passaic Ave.
East Newark, NJ 07029

Tracycle
177 Mott St.
New York, NY 10002

$18,746

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

MBM
6624 8th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11220

$16,223

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

Gloria Young Design, Inc.
434 S. San Pedro
Los Angeles, CA 90013

$13,234

Greenwest, Inc.
1447 W. 178th St.
Gardena, CA 90248

PCT
2060 Via Arado
Rancho Dominquez, CA 90220

Michelle Fashion, Inc.
40-22 College Point Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11355

$12,183

Necessary Objects
503 Broadway
New York, NY 10018

Dong's Fashion
14885 Chestnut St.
Westminster, CA 92683

$11,524

Pink 'N Blue 3
1219 S. Wall St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Jioa Xin
120 Walker St.
New York, NY 10013

$10,933

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

Ervin, Inc.
220 61st St.
West New York, NJ 07093

$10,691

Rickki B
1350 Broadway
New York, NY 10018

D.H.Z. Fashion, Inc.
40-22 College Point Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11355

$9,655

Necessary Objects
503-511 Broadway
New York, NY 10012

Celine Trading
247 W. 36th St.
New York, NY 10018

$7,557

Celine Collection 3
255 W. 36th St.
New York, NY 10018

After Dark 3
1400 Broadway
New York, NY 10018

My Viet Sewing Center
3838 Fairmont Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105

$7,121

Play Alegre 3
730 13th St.
San Diego, CA 92101

99 Apparel, Inc.
133-12 41st
Ave.Flushing, NY 11355

$6,458

Caribou Clothing Co., Inc.
1407 Broadway
New York, NY 10018

Necessary Objects
503 Broadway
New York, NY 10018

CL Fashion Express, Inc.
13280 Paxton St.
Pacoima, CA 91311

$5,628

L&L Manufacturing2
2250 S. Maple
Los Angeles, CA 90011

Ira Fashion
40-22 College Point Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11355

$5,524

Younique Clothing, Inc. 3
263 W. 38th St.
New York, NY 10018

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

Long Wing Garment
40-22 College Point Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11355

$5,480

JXP Design 3
68 33rd St.
Brooklyn, NY 11232

HL Fashion
10772 Capital
Garden Grove, CA 96243

$4,814

Cisono 3
3848 S. Hill St.
Los Angeles, CA 90037

D&B
47-49 Division St.
New York, NY 10002

$4,779

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

2YK Fashion
2 East Broadway
New York, NY 10038

$4,635

Jenna Lane 2
900 Secaucus Rd.
Secaucus, NJ 07094

C&H Sportswear, Inc.
239 W. 39th St.
New York, NY 10018

$4,017

Leslie Faye/Cynthia Steffe, Inc. 2
550 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10018

Sandy J. Fashion
40-22 College Point Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11355

$3,554

ISB 2
1400 Broadway
New York, NY 10018

Dragon Knitwear
120 Baxter St.
New York, NY 10013

$3,461

Street Beat 2
462 Kent Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Unique Fashion, Inc.
900 Passaic Ave.
E. Newark, NJ 07029

$3,432

Marvin Richards
512 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10018

FHM Clothing Mfg. Co., Inc.
536 E. Elizabeth Ave.
Linden, NJ 07036

$3,021

Pincus Bros. Maxwell 3
Independence Mall East
Philadelphia, PA 19106

JC Company
10832 Capital St.
Garden Grove, CA 92483

$2,945

Natali 3
1104 B. South Santee
Los Angeles, CA 90015

French Kiss Clothing 3
754 E. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90021

J Connection 3
1018 S. Wall St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015

A Motion Studio
440 Brannan St.
San Francisco, CA 94107

$2,925

Espirit de Corps 2
900 Minnesota St.
San Francisco, CA 94107

Gatsby Fashion Corp.
416 45th St.
Union City, NJ 07087

$2,547

Foxcroft Sportswear 2
140 Ace St.
Fall River, MA 02720

Cary Manuf
2116 NW 21st St.
Miami, FL 33142

$2,340

Richland Apparel 2
16085 NW 52nd Ave.
Miami, FL 33054

(1)

$1,613

Empire International 3
257 W. 38th St.
New York, NY 10018

Survival Sportswear
11521 Salinaz
Garden Grove, CA 92643

$1,416

Straight Down 3
4146 Santa Fe Rd.
San Luis Obispo, CA 92401

Billabong 3
117 Waterworks Way
Irvine, CA 92618

Volcom 3
1740 Monrovia
Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Trang Sewing
2935 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92104

$1,148

Teamwork Athlete Apparel
188 Newport Dr.
San Marcos, CA 92069

My Viet Sewing Center
3838 Fairmont Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105

In Dispute

LGB, Inc. 3
1564 Jayken Way
Chula Vista, CA 91911

Canari Cycle Wear 3
10025 Huennekens St.
San Diego, CA 92121

Footnote:

1 Manufacturer contacted because of own violations.
2 Manufacturer agreed to begin contractor monitoring program, or has a monitoring program in place.
3 First time manufacturer has been included on Enforcement Report.

 



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