Governor Rell Announces Labor Agency

Recovers $7 Million in Wages for Workers

                Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today that the state Department of Labor has recovered nearly $7 million in unpaid wages for workers in Connecticut during the fiscal year that ended June 30.

            “On this Labor Day, we are mindful that the American worker must be able to rely on the basic principles of earning a living and being fairly paid for his or her work,” Governor Rell said.  “The employees who earned these wages depend on this income to support their families, and in these difficult economic times, we need to ensure our citizens get paid for the work they do.”

            The Department’s Division of Wage and Workplace Standards recovered $3.2 million after 3,234 workers complained they were not paid wages owed to them. The division also recovered $1 million by enforcing Connecticut’s prevailing wage laws and returned $2 million more to workers unpaid for overtime or the minimum wage. Additionally, the department recovered $58,000 in back pay owed to service workers hired by private contractors for work on state property.

According to Division Director Gary Pechie, the unit handled more than 25,000 telephone and written inquiries during the past fiscal year and provided outreach services to businesses and schools to ensure that laws were fully understood.

The Governor lauded the Division for successfully investigating wage-related complaints and for its education outreach.

"Whether it be through voluntary employer compliance, or, when that can not be achieved, through legal avenues, the goal is to meet the needs of our workers and strengthen relationships within the business community,” Governor Rell said.