California Leads Labor Offense List

The latest federal report tracking garment industry violations lists California as the country’s worst offender for the quarter ended Sept. 30, followed closely by New York state.

Federal investigators recovered $353,686 in back wages owed to 1,013 workers at California apparel companies, according to the Labor Department report. The 98 federal investigations conducted in California between July 1 and Sept. 30 resulted in 67 violations and $98,100 in civil penalties.

For the quarter ended June 30, federal investigators found 49 violations that resulted in the recovery of $67,771 in back wages owed to 722 employees. During that reporting period, $1,000 in fines were assessed.

In New York, investigators recovered $342,382 in back pay for 885 employees and imposed $7,310 in penalties.

Nationally, the federal government recovered a total of $786,264 in back wages owed to 2,208 garment industry workers. Nearly 61% of federal investigations undertaken during the reporting period resulted in violations, and $108,485 in fines were assessed.

The report is the third quarterly one to be issued by the federal government on its ongoing investigations into garment industry wage and hour violations. It identifies a New Jersey-based company that owed its employees $58,538 in back wages as the single largest violator.

Investigators said that a Santa Ana-based company was identified as California’s single largest violator. Perri Inc., which according to the report was producing apparel for Los Angeles-based Jonathan Martin and Chatsworth-based Melrose, owed its employees $37,257.

Perri executives were not available for comment. A telephone number that the company supplied to state regulators has been disconnected. State records list Trien Van Le as Perri’s president, Sargon Addi as vice president and Philip Compton as secretary.

A receptionist at Melrose said that no executives were available to comment on the report. A Jonathan Martin executive did not return a phone call on Friday.

Other Southland-based companies listed in the report, and the back wages found to be owed, include: Kenny’s Two Inc., Los Angeles, $25,503; Goldstar Fashion Inc., South El Monte, $25,000; and Focus Apparel, South El Monte, $13,413.