Irvine Garment Maker Shut Down After Raid

In a sunset raid Tuesday, federal and state agents shut down an Irvine garment contractor who allegedly has been locking workers overnight in a windowless embroidery room.

Government agents said several immigrant employees, including at least one underage worker, worked from about 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. at Hi-Tech Expression. Investigators said the shop’s owner, Eunchang Lee of Irvine, posed a serious safety risk to the workers by locking the doors every night and not reopening them until the next morning.

Rick Rice, a spokesman for Cal/OSHA, which participated in the raid, said the safety agency plans to cite the company today for failing to provide adequate exits.

In addition, Lee was cited for not having workers’ compensation insurance, failing to register as a garment contractor and employing a minor without a work permit. Agents confiscated more than 200 pieces of clothing in Tuesday’s raid, including Nike T-shirts and numerous brand-name hats.

The workers told officials they voluntarily came and left their jobs, but some said they had complained to the owner about the danger of working behind locked doors.

Adalberto Flores, 20, who has worked at Hi-Tech Expression for two years, said: “I think they locked the doors because they thought the employees were stealing many things. But nobody steals anything, and it’s not right to leave us there.”

Indeed, Lee, 35, told investigators that he locked the doors to protect his merchandise. He said that in an emergency, workers could force open a rear door that would lead to an enclosed warehouse area, where they could open a roll-up door to get outside.

Lee said two to four employees worked the night shift embroidering hats and clothing on computerized machines. “In case of fire, they can go out any time,” he said.

Brian Taverner, the federal wage and hour investigator who led the multi-agency raid, said it would take several minutes for workers to get out in an emergency.

“I can see where he’s saying that he wants to protect the merchandise,” he said. “But the safety of employees should be considered.”

According to records obtained by the state, the workers’ compensation carrier for Hi-Tech Expression canceled its policy in late December, citing the locked doors as the reason.

Because Lee did not have workers’ compensation insurance, state officials fined him $15,000. Also, Lee was fined $500 for employing a 17-year-old worker who did not have a proper work permit and $1,500 for failing to register as a garment contractor, said David Dorame, a deputy labor commissioner.

Dorame said interviews with employees and a quick examination of payroll check stubs suggested that Lee could be fined for minimum wage and overtime pay violations. Dorame said labor investigators plan to subpoena all payroll records and other paperwork on customers’ orders.

Lee said he paid workers minimum wage or higher, and that he provided overtime pay. He said that he was unaware of employing a minor and that he did not know he had to register as a contractor. Lee said he has been in business for six years in the industrial park in Irvine.

Times staff writer Antonio Olivo contributed to this story.