Target Contractor Faulted on Janitors' Pay
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor said last week it had reached a $1.9 million agreement with Global Building Services, which supplies janitors for Target Corp., after finding that the contractor had not paid overtime to hundreds of immigrant workers who often worked seven nights a week.
A two-year investigation by the Labor Department found that Newhall, Calif.-based Global Building Services had not paid overtime to 775 immigrant janitors who cleaned Target stores in Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.
Minneapolis-based Target was not part of the investigation, but issued the following statement: "Target does not tolerate unethical business practices in any form, including on the part of our vendors. We are in the process of collecting more information and will be taking appropriate action."
The Labor Department was tipped off by Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, a Los Angeles-based group that monitors employers that use janitors. The group investigated 50 Target stores and found that janitors were being paid in cash at a flat rate with no overtime, no deductions for payroll taxes, and no workers' comp, a spokeswoman for the group said.
A two-year investigation by the Labor Department found that Newhall, Calif.-based Global Building Services had not paid overtime to 775 immigrant janitors who cleaned Target stores in Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.
Minneapolis-based Target was not part of the investigation, but issued the following statement: "Target does not tolerate unethical business practices in any form, including on the part of our vendors. We are in the process of collecting more information and will be taking appropriate action."
The Labor Department was tipped off by Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, a Los Angeles-based group that monitors employers that use janitors. The group investigated 50 Target stores and found that janitors were being paid in cash at a flat rate with no overtime, no deductions for payroll taxes, and no workers' comp, a spokeswoman for the group said.