Labor violations found at 2 A. Samoa stores

American Samoa-based Ocean Star Enterprises Inc., doing business as Pacific Mini Mart in Tafuna and as Ocean Star Enterprise Inc. in Nu’uuli, has agreed to pay $23,922 in back wages to seven employees following an investigation by the Wage and Hour Division.

Investigators found that the employer paid a fixed salary to several employees without regard to the number of weekly hours actually worked.

“The payment of a guaranteed salary to front-line convenience store employees does not waive their entitlement to a base retail sector minimum wage of $4.60 per hour and overtime premium pay for hours worked after 40 in a workweek,” said Terence Trotter, the division’s district director in Hawaii. (USDOL)