Apparel Firms to Take Compliance Steps

The Labor Department said two retail companies--Irvine-based Wet Seal and Hub Distributing, the Ontario-based operator of Miller’s Outpost--have agreed to step up efforts to ensure that their suppliers are in compliance with labor laws. The agreements stem from Labor Department investigations of 25 Southland apparel contractors that violated wage laws. The agency said 473 workers have received $191,895 in back pay for those violations, which involved production for 91 apparel manufacturers. One of the manufacturers, Los Angeles-based Just for Wraps, agreed to establish monitoring programs designed to ensure future labor law compliance by its contractors. Two Compton-based manufacturers, Pacific Continentals Textile Inc. and Tapestry Inc., also agreed to establish such monitoring programs, the agency said.