State Labor Commissioner Julie Su cited a Los Angeles janitorial firm catering to aviation companies for wage violations and ordered it to pay nearly $1 million back wages, damages and fines, it was announced Thursday.
Los Angeles-based Spirit Airport Services has been ordered to pay $853,384 in wages and premiums, $88,122 in damages and $21,700 in penalties, according to the Labor Commissioner’s office.
Each Spirit employee who cleaned cabins is owed an average of $5,173 for minimum wage, overtime, rest and meal breaks, according to the Labor Commissioner’s office.
“Wage theft is a crime that disproportionately hits workers in low-wage industries,” said Christine Baker, director of the Department of Industrial Relations. “The Labor Commissioner’s office is helping them obtain the wages they are owed.”
The investigation was initiated after the Labor Commissioner received complaints from a watchdog group, Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, on behalf of Spirit employees in July 2013, according to the Labor Commissioner’s office.
Spirit Airport Services is a contractor at Los Angeles International Airport whose employees clean planes between flights. Investigators questioned Spirit employees and reviewed documents that showed violations of wage laws between July 2012 and October 2013, according to the Labor Commissioner’s office.
“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,” Su said. “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.”
— City News Service