Ohio - A Right to Work State [Without Pay]
Submitted by ratcoon205 on Fri, 01/15/2010 - 7:46pm.
In the year 2010, in the Great State of Ohio, how is it possible for a business to refuse to pay its employees? WE NEED NORMA RAE!
A prosperous non-union machine shop, Class Machine Company in Akron Ohio refuses to pay wages owed to employees and still operates.
In October, 2009 the employees reported the issue to The Department of Commerce (Division of Industrial Compliance & Labor)
The company owes over 6 weeks’ wages to all regular employees that were laid off due to lack of being able to pay wages on 11/23/09.
The Department of Commerce (Division of Industrial Compliance & Labor) gave the employer a deadline of December 15, 2009 to pay the wages owed to its employees. Instead of paying them, the employer laid them off on Nov. 23rd. Dept. of Commerce said that it would be turned over to the Attorney General’s Office if the wages were not paid in full by the deadline and the company would be taken to court. On December 21, 2009, the Dept. of Commerce forwarded the issue to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. As of today, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office is not aware of this injustice. Apparently, this is extremely common in Ohio right now.
The company continues to run with a couple of people being paid daily for their work. Now the company is running classified ads through a temporary service to hire replacement employees. In order to call back laid off employees the company would have to pay them what they are owed. The regular employees are owed over 6 to 8 weeks of pay. It took the company some time to fall so far behind. The employer started by paying the employees 1 week of pay for every 2 weeks they worked, promising to make it up. Then they would be paid for 6 days of work instead of 5, every 2 weeks to show that the employer was trying.
Employees are now finding out that September, October & November health insurance claims have been denied with no reason given other than to contact their employer. The employer is denying any transgression however deducted health insurance premiums from the employee's (occasional) paychecks for those months.
Complaints have also been filed with insuranceohio.gov for possible insurance fraud.
How can an employer be allowed to operate in this manner TODAY in the State of Ohio WITH NO REPERCUSSIONS?
Work without pay
I am also a laid off woker from Class Machine Co. I was laid off in Oct, so I am only owed 2 weeks pay, besides the three weeks vacation pay I was owed in Sept. I have filed a claim with small claims court to try and get $3,000 of what is owed me. The state is trying to get the pay checks, but they will only get vacation pay for state employees. I guess we the tax payors don't deserve to have paid vacations.I was one that turned him into the state and he told me at the time I would probably not be paid my vacation as he does not have to pay it. I have over 22 years with the company.
No pay
I dont understand how people that steal and get caught go to jail so why isn't he in jail. My husband was one of the employees that worked there and thank god he found another job and never has to go back there!!!That man needs to be put out of BUSINESS!!!Good luck to the men that are in there working!! I hope you get PAID.