Slush Puppie, SuperPretzel, Icee, Luigi's and Minute Maid Juice Bars are just some of the famous products of J&J Snack Foods Corporation. Recently, the company was ordered to pay $2.1 million to temporary workers who were denied of the overtime pay and minimum wages.
Almost $1.26 million for back wages and liquidated damages went to 465 workers who didn't get extra pay from July 2012 to February at J&J's plant in Swedesboro, U.S. Department of Labor as reported in Philly.com.
According to a labor department spokeswoman, the job of these workers is to make baked products, pretzels, cinnamon buns and bagels for Wawa nourishment markets at Uptown Bakeries, a J&J Snack Food plant. Other than setting up the baked products, they packaged them and placed Wawa labels.
"When a joint-employment relationship exists, we will hold those companies accountable when wage violations occur and workers are cheated," said David Weil, administrator for the wage and hour division. "At the same time, we are committed to educating employers and offering them the guidance they need to comply with the law and protect workers' rights."
Dennis Moore, J&J Snack Foods chief financial officer explained that the company was totally clueless that the staffing agencies were not reasonably paying the workers. The investigation revealed J&J made a repeat violation of federal wage and hour laws which resulted to an additional fine of $20,000.
J&J likewise agreed paying $920,000 to 212 temporary workers who worked at J&J's facility in Chambersburg, outside of Harrisburg. Chambersburg workers primarily made pretzels, mixing the dough, cutting and twisting them, baking them, and packaging them for distribution.
"Companies may find temporary staffing services useful in addressing their staffing needs, but their use should not come at the expense of fair and legal wages for temporary workers," said Mark Watson, administrator of the wage and hour division's northeast region.
