A team of California Economic Employment Enforcement Coalition (EEEC) investigators have issued 49 citations for safety and labor violations--with fines totaling more than $567,000--in a recent sweep of Bay Area pallet manufacturers.
The investigators say they uncovered serious violations that included:
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- Failure to pay minimum wage;
- Failure to have workers' compensation insurance and not providing itemized wage statements;
- Disabled safety latches on circular saws and other power tools;
- Failure to supply safety equipment such as safety glasses or earplugs, and safety training;
- Working conditions such as ungrounded electrical equipment, workers ankle-deep in mud, no toilets on site, and illegal on-site dormitory-style rooms with no heat, plumbing or electricity.
Launched in July of 2005 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the EEEC is a multi-agency task force designed to root out California's "underground economy" by enforcing California labor laws, and educating business owners and workers about those laws and regulations in workshops held regularly statewide.
During unannounced enforcement sweeps, the EEEC targets businesses that avoid labor, tax and licensing laws, safety and health regulations and carry no workers' compensation insurance for their employees.
EEEC is currently targeting garment, agriculture, construction, pallet, auto body, car wash, and restaurant businesses. The stae says that these industries have been identified as having a high incidence of workplace violations and a lack of regulatory compliance.
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