Labor Commissioner Issues over $963,000 in Citations to Aircraft Janitorial Services Provider for Wage Theft

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su issued citations to aircraft janitorial service contractor Spirit Airport Services following an investigation that showed the company owed wages to 182 former and current employees. The citations issued to the Los Angeles-based company include $853,384 in wages and premiums, $88,122 in damages, plus $21,700 in penalties. 

"Wage theft is a crime that disproportionately hits workers in low-wage industries," said Christine Baker, Director of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). "The Labor Commissioner's Office is helping them obtain the wages they are owed." The Labor Commissioner's Office, also known as the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), is a division of DIR.

The investigation was initiated after the Labor Commissioner received complaints from a janitorial watchdog organization, Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund (MCTF), on behalf of Spirit employees in July 2013. Spirit Airport Services is a contractor with Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) that provides cabin cleaning of airplanes between flights. Investigators interviewed Spirit employees and reviewed documents that revealed multiple violations of minimum wage, rest and meal period laws, and overtime premiums between July 2012 and October 2013. The Labor Commissioner's office found that Spirit was requiring cabin cleaners to clock out when flight delays occurred and clock back in after the delay.

"Too often in industries like janitorial, workers are deprived of hard-earned wages because the contractor has to choose between making a profit or paying employees," said Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su. "This citation is a reminder that employers who force their employees to work off the clock or to skip breaks to cut costs are breaking the law. And it should also serve as another reminder to those who contract for such services that contracts should be rewarded to those businesses whose pricing and practices demonstrate a commitment to following the law."

In total, each Spirit cabin cleaner is owed an average of $5,173 for minimum wage, overtime, rest and meal breaks, and liquidated damages.

"Those are human hands who do the work and they deserve to be paid what they are owed and are entitled to breaks as required by law," said Labor Commissioner Su. "The Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund is an important partner for enforcement agencies as they expose cases and work collaboratively to put an end to practices that would otherwise go unaddressed."

Amongst its wide-ranging enforcement responsibilities, the Labor Commissioner's Office adjudicates wage claims, investigates discrimination and public works complaints, and enforces labor law and the Industrial Welfare Commission wages orders. Information related to California labor laws is available on the DLSE website as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

Employees with work-related questions or complaints may call the California Worker's Information Hotline at (866) 924-9757 for recorded information in English and Spanish on a variety of work-related topics.

For media inquiries contact Erika Monterroza at (510) 286-1164 or Peter Melton at (510) 286-7046.

The California Department of Industrial Relations, established in 1927, protects and improves the health, safety, and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR is housed within the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. Non-media inquiries can contact DIR's Communications Call Center at 1-844-LABOR-DIR (1-844-522-6734) for help in locating the appropriate division or program in our department.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/labor-commissioner-issues-over-963000-in-citations-to-aircraft-janitorial-services-provider-for-wage-theft-175451017.html

SOURCE Department of Industrial Relations, California Labor Commissioner

Related Links

http://www.dir.ca.gov/