by Lawrence Wilson
The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $67,294 in unpaid wages for 29 workers after Akron, Ohio, based employer McNeil and NRM Inc. failed to pay them for two and a half months this year.
“Workers cannot be expected to bear the burden of the employer’s financial issues which, in this case, left them wondering if or when they would be paid,” Matthew Utley, director of the Wage and Hour Division District in Columbus, said in a statement, adding, “Any worker not getting paid should contact the Wage and Hour Division immediately.”
Federal law requires that wages be paid on the regular payday for the pay period covered.
McNeil and NRM Inc. designs tire production equipment including tire curing presses, bias cutters and tire building machines at its Akron facility. In 2000 primary manufacturing operations were moved to Romania. The antecedent entities, NRM and McNeil Corp., were founded in 1907 and 1910 according to the company website.
Phones were not answered Wednesday afternoon at the contact number listed on the McNeil and NRM Inc. website.
The Wage and Hour Division took more than 24,000 compliance actions during 2021, recovering $23 million in back wages for about 190,000 workers, according to the Department of Labor.
Timely payment of wages is a best business practice, according to Utley, not merely a legal requirement.
“Employers who fail to respect workers’ rights are likely to find it more difficult to retain and recruit the people they need to operate their businesses,” Utley said. “Employers who treat workers with dignity and who comply with federal protections for workers will have a competitive advantage.”
Ohio had 436,000 open jobs in June according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which an unemployment rate of 3.9%.
Workers who believe they are not being paid correctly can call the Wage and Hour Division helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (866-487-9243).
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Lawrence Wilson is a contributor to The Center Square.
