Wet Seal Agrees to Pay Garment Workers

Wet Seal Inc. agreed to pay $90,000 to four garment workers who said they were underpaid by one of the company’s contractors.

The settlement was the first time a retailer had agreed to pay garment workers under a state law that allows them to file claims for alleged labor violations against their employer as well as the firms that contract with the employer.

Andrea Beltran, Adriana Candelario, Rosalba Garcia and Juventina Ochoa claimed that DT Sewing did not pay minimum wage or overtime and alleged that Foothill Ranch-based Wet Seal was partly responsible.

Wet Seal maintained it was not legally liable for the wages. But it decided that paying the workers was “the right thing to do,” the company said.

Wet Seal stock rose 3 cents to close at $9.49 on Nasdaq.

-- Leslie Earnest