SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a preliminary federal court injunction forbidding the operator of 14 San Francisco Bay Area Subway locations from violating child labor laws, threatening and retaliating against workers and obstructing a federal investigation.
The action by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California comes amid allegations made by investigators with the department’s Wage and Hour Division that John Michael Meza, owner and operator of the Subway franchises, directed employees as young as 14 and 15 to operate dangerous equipment, allowed children to work longer and at times not permitted by law, issued hundreds of bad checks to employees, failed to pay their wages regularly and kept tips left by customers.
The division also alleges that Meza interfered with its investigation by coercing employees not to cooperate with investigators and threatening children who raised concerns or tried to exercise their legal rights.
During their review, investigators determined several Subway workers had suffered burns and other injuries.
“Federal regulations protect young workers, ensure employees are paid all their hard-earned wages, and allow workers to freely cooperate with a federal investigation without fear of retaliation by their employer,” said Assistant District Director Alberto Raymond with the Wage and Hour Division in San Francisco. “While learning new skills in the workforce is an important part of growing up, federal...
The Green Party leader wasn't challenged on the inaccurate comment during an appearance on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday. Zack Polanski has inaccurately defended his response to the Golders Green attack...