Mass. AG Settles Wage/Hour Charges against Laundry

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office recently reached a $900,000 civil settlement with a commercial laundry company based in Dorchester, MA, according to a news release. The Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division handled the investigation.

Country Temp Corp., Roslindale, MA, supplied temporary workers to Coliseum Companies Inc., doing business as Bay State Linen, a commercial laundry company in Dorchester, MA. These temporary employees performed manual labor loading and unloading linens from industrial washer, dryer and pressing machines at the facility. Country Temp staff made up the majority of employees at Bay State and were employed at the facility for many months, at times years, according to the release.

The Attorney General’s investigation revealed that the owners of Country Temp Corp., Robert Carrion and Fabiola Ramirez, were allegedly paying employees below minimum wage in an under-the-table payroll operation. The employees allegedly didn’t receive overtime pay despite regularly working upwards of 60 to 70 hours per week, with some regularly working 100 hours in a week. The employees were paid strictly in cash without paystubs listing their hourly rates of pay, according to the release.

The AG’s Office reached a settlement with Bay State Linen and its owner, Greg Decious, in which they agreed to pay up to $900,000 in restitution for alleged violations of the state’s minimum wage and overtime laws. Approximately 177 Country Temp workers will receive restitution through that settlement. The AG’s allegations against Bay State (which Bay State denied) were based on joint employer liability, according to the release.

In a separate criminal investigation involving Carrion and Ramirez, the Attorney General’s Office alleges that nine employees are owed nearly $55,000 in minimum wages and overtime. The following charges were brought against the defendants:

Robert Carrion

• Intimidation of a Witness (6 counts)
• Retaliation (4 counts)
• Failure to Pay Minimum Wage (9 counts)
• Failure to Pay Overtime (9 counts)
• Failure to Make Timely Payment of Wages (4 counts)
• Failure to Furnish Payroll Records to the AG’s Office for Inspection (2 counts)
• Failure to Provide a Suitable Paystub (9 counts)
• Failure to Issue Temporary Worker Right to Know Notice (9 counts)
   

Fabiola Ramirez

• Intimidation of a Witness (3 counts)
• Retaliation (4 counts)
• Failure to Pay Minimum Wage (9 counts)
• Failure to Pay Overtime (9 counts)
• Failure to Make Timely Payment of Wages (4 counts)
• Failure to Furnish Payroll Records to the AG’s Office for Inspection (2 counts)
• Failure to Provide a Suitable Paystub (9 counts)
• Failure to Issue Temporary Worker Right to Know Notice (9 counts)
   

Country Temp Corp.

• Failure to Pay Overtime (7 counts)
• Failure to Furnish Payroll Records to AG’s Office for Inspection (1 count)
• Failure to Provide a Suitable Paystub (7 counts)
• Failure to Issue Temporary Worker Right to Know Notice (7 counts)
   

To read the full release, click here.