U.S. Labor Department secures more than $1.5 million in back wages for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita workers

NEW ORLEANS — Ceres Environmental Services Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., has agreed to pay $1,500,718 in back wages to 2,256 former debris removal workers. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that these workers were not properly paid for work they performed throughout Louisiana in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as required by the Service Contract Act (SCA) and the Contract Work Hours Safety Standards Act (CWHSSA). The workers were employed by 266 subcontractors of Ceres.

"As a result of the department's investigation, we are securing more than $1.5 million in back wages for these workers whose efforts were vital to the Gulf Coast's recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. More...