Department of Labor recovers $350K in back wages, damages after finding Spokane-based supermarket chain denied 602 workers overtime pay

SPOKANE, WA – U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Recovers Back Wages and Assesses Penalties for Violations

SPOKANE, WA– An extensive U.S. Department of Labor investigation into the pay and employment practices at 23 stores operated by a Spokane-based supermarket chain has recovered more than $350,000 in back wages and damages for 602 employees and assessed penalties of $72,862 for the employer’s willful violations.

Pay and Employment Violations

1. The Wage and Hour Division discovered Spokane’s Rosauers Supermarkets Inc. did not pay employees for meal breaks less than 20 minutes long, as required.
2. The company failed to include evening premium pay, hazard pay, and non-discretionary bonuses in regular pay rates when calculating overtime wages.
3. These violations were found at 16 stores in Washington, four in Montana, two in Idaho, and one in Oregon.

Child Labor Violations

1. The employer violated federal child labor regulations by employing five minors, ages 16- and 17-years old, to operate dangerous machines at its Ridgefield, Washington store.

“Too often, our investigators find grocery industry employers taking advantage of these essential workers by failing to pay them correctly,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Carrie Aguilar in Portland, Oregon. “In addition to denying hundreds of employees pay for short meal breaks, Rosauers Supermarkets jeopardized the safety of children by employing them to illegally operate dangerous machines.”

The company operates stores as Rosauers Supermarkets, Super1Foods, and Huckleberry’s Natural Market.

Violations of Fair Labor Standards Act

1. Overtime and recordkeeping requirements were violated at stores in Hood River, Oregon; in Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho; in Bozeman, Kalispell, Libby, and Missoula, Montana; and in Colfax, Colville, Ellensburg, Pullman, Ridgefield, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Yakima, Washington.

“The U.S. Department of Labor is determined to enforce laws that protect workers’ rights to be paid fully and to prevent young employees from being employed in dangerous jobs. The Fair Labor Standards Act allows for developmental experiences but restricts the employment of young workers in certain jobs and provides for penalties when employers do not follow the law,” Aguilar added.

In addition to recovering $175,363 in unpaid overtime wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages, the penalties assessed by the department included $17,820 for repeated child labor violations. The division cited the employer for similar child labor infractions at 10 stores in 1993.

YouthRules! Initiative

• The YouthRules! initiative promotes positive and safe work experiences for teens by providing information about protections for young workers to youth, parents, employers, and educators.
• The U.S. Department of Labor and its partners promote developmental work experiences that help prepare young workers to enter the workforce.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. Employers and workers can call the division confidentially with questions, regardless of where they are from. The department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages through the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Download the agency’s new Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices – free and now available in Spanish – to track hours and pay.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• SDG 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.
• SDG 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 8.5: Average hourly earnings of employees by sex, age group, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator for SDG 10.4: Proportion of total government spending on essential services (education, health, and social protection).
• Indicator for SDG 16.3: Proportion of victims of violence in the previous 12 months who reported their victimization to competent authorities or other officially recognized mechanisms.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: dol.gov

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