Labor Citizen

Labor Sues Chain Store Firm

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - For the second time in less than a month, the U. S. Labor Department has filed injunction proceedings against chain store operators in this State.

A complaint just filed here against operators of the DeVane Brothers Company names John H., Charles, and Harvey D. DeVane, of Lake City.

Last week in Miami, distributors of "Goody" shoes, the C. & P. Shoe Corporation, were named defendants in an action charging violations of basic pay standards, plus employment of five children under 16 years of age in violation of the hours-restrictions applicable to 14 and 15-year olds.

The complaint against the DeVanes alleges violations of both minimum-wage and overtime pay provisions of the Federal Wage and Hour Law in case of the employees of the central office and warehouse of the firm which operates six retail outlets. Both complaints refer to the violations which affect employees of the "central office and warehouse" of the chains.

Harold W. Glenn, investigation supervisor of the Jacksonville wage-hour field office, said the actions against the firms were not intended to affect workers in the individual retail stores of either DeVane or the Goody Stores.

"Without reference to either of these cases," he said, "the retail exemption in the wage-hour law usually excludes minimum-wage and overtime-pay benefits for employees in individual retail outlets.

"However, workers in central offices or warehouses serving chains are comparable to those in wholesale operations, and are covered by the law when engaged in interstate commerce."