Labor sues Texas agency over unpaid overtime

[sonias]

AAS 6/8/11

Labor sues Texas agency over unpaid overtime

AUSTIN, TEXAS — The U.S. Department of Labor filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a state agency seeking more than $1 million in back wages for hundreds of child welfare employees it says weren't paid for overtime hours.

The federal agency is suing the Child Protective Services Division of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Austin. The suit claims 800 current and former CPS investigators and case workers were denied proper overtime compensation and instructed not to record the hours they worked.

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires that covered employers pay covered workers at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates for working more than 40 hours a week.

The labor department has been aggressively cracking down on wage and hour violations in the private and public sector under the Obama administration.

Do you get the feeling that slick Ricky Perry and his minions are trying to run state agencies on the Walmart plan? You know short change everyone, make them work unpaid hours and generally pass their health care costs onto other safety nets.

Just saying this does not surprise me out bit. :grr:

Good for the Labor Dept. Go get'em Feds!

[northoftheborder]

1. Good to see the courage to go after our often crooked state agencies.

[hobbit709]

2. Gotta start somewhere. Sic 'em.

[sonias]

3. I'm proud of those workers

I'm sure some of them filed a complaint. That's how these things get started.

:applause:

[plumbob]

5. Tear 'em up!

Then let Slick Rick explain how he got the state into expensive hot water in a criminal way.

[onestepforward]

4. Good Grief.

Best wishes to the workers and hope they get all of their overtime. I'm very glad to hear that our Labor Dept. is cracking down on violations.