WEST COVINA, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday that it recovered more than $132,000 in wages and damages for 72 workers at a Los Angeles County wholesale tortilla manufacturer.
The agency’s Wage and Hour Division investigation found that La Flor de Mexico Inc. in Baldwin Park, California, failed to pay minimum wage to the employees for all hours worked and overtime premium rates for hours over 40 in a workweek, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Investigators also discovered a joint employment relationship between La Flor de Mexico and Employee Force Provider, a staffing agency the manufacturer used to hire most of its workers and co-manage the day-to-day operation of the tortilla manufacturing business.
The division recovered $66,253 in back wages and an equivalent amount in liquidated damages for the workers.
“The U.S. Department of Labor will always be vigilant to ensure all employers comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act,” said Wage and Hour Division Assistant District Director Skarleth Kozlo in West Covina, California. “Workers must be paid correctly and on time for their work.”
The Wage and Hour Division learned about the case thanks to a news segment by television reporter Cecilia Bográn that aired at Univision Los Angeles on May 20, 2024. La Flor de Mexico Inc. is a manufacturer and supplier of wheat, corn, oat and multigrain tortillas, as well as lavash and flatbread.