Employers tasked to pay $265,294 in unpaid wages to workers, stop threatening and retaliating against workers

An operator of 14 Subway locations in the Francisco Bay Area is now facing investigation and litigation for violations against child labor, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The government has obtained a preliminary federal court injunction forbidding the employer from violating child labor laws, threatening and retaliating against workers and obstructing a federal investigation.

The injunction covers John Michael Meza, owner and operator of the Subway franchises; his Brentwood-based companies – MZS Enterprises LLC and Crave Brands LLC; his wife Jessica Leyva Meza and associate Hamza Ayesh.

The court forbids them from violating child labor regulations and from harassing and threatening labor investigators or employees, and from taking retaliatory actions such as termination, reduction of work hours, or threatening to report employees to law enforcement agencies, including immigration authorities.

“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 Alberto Raymond, assistant district director with the DOT Wage and Hour Division in San Francisco. “While learning new skills in the workforce is an important part of growing up, federal law dictates that children’s jobs must be safe and that their...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiggFodHRwczovL3d3dy5oY2FtYWcuY29tL3Vz...