Secretary of Labor combats wage violations

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement regarding the increased enforcement and outreach efforts of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division:

   “Protecting worker rights is my top priority at the Department of Labor.  It’s not a slogan.  It’s a commitment that I have made to ensure workers receive all the protections that the law promises, and that no employer gains an unfair advantage by cheating workers out of their rightfully earned wages.  

    “Since I took office, the department has collected more than $300 million in back wages for more than 385,000 workers.  I have hired an additional 300 new wage and hour investigators to ensure that we can promptly respond to complaints and can undertake more targeted enforcement.   And  I have launched a national public awareness campaign to connect America’s most vulnerable workers with the broad array of services that are provided by my department to ensure they receive the wages they worked so hard to earn. 

   “We are making significant strides to combat wage violations, but there is still much work to do.  We welcome the efforts of those who join us in educating the public about the need for more, and we want workers to know that they should contact us if they have any questions about the protections they are guaranteed under the law. 

   “I will not rest until the law is followed by every employer and until each worker is treated and compensated in accordance with what the law requires.”