Manufacturer ordered to pay $256,513 in back wages

A conveyor belt manufacturer in Las Vegas has to pay $256,513 in back wages to 17 workers after a U.S. Labor Department investigation.

DDS Conveyor Inc. of 3265 W. Post Road missed several payrolls, which prompted the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division's Las Vegas office to investigate. It found $229,665 in minimum wage and $26,848 in overtime back wages. Company owners said financial problems made it hard to pay the workers on time, the Labor Department said.

"We understand that companies have financial ups and downs, but it is the responsibility of all employers to ensure that they pay their workers. Employers are required to maintain current payroll, and cannot withhold employees' pay to finance operations. We are pleased that this company came into immediate compliance," said Gaspar Montanez, district director for the Wage and Hour office in Las Vegas. "These workers will now receive the hard-earned money they deserve."

Montanez said DDS Conveyor didn't pay its workers in November 2014 and paid them for the back wages in June.