Van Hollen
MANITOWOC, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced a settlement on Thursday with an aluminum coil manufacturer that will compensate its former employees more than $144,000.
When Koenig & Vits, Inc., closed its Manitowoc County firm earlier this year, 86 former employees were owed back wages and never received them, Van Hollen says. According to the Wage Payments, Claims and Collections laws of the state, all eligible workers are entitled to as much as $3,000 in unpaid wages before any other creditors are paid. This did not happen in this case.
"It is clear in Wisconsin that laws protecting the rights of workers to compensation must be followed," Van Hollen said. "The Wisconsin Department of Justice represents the Department of Workforce Development in enforcing the law when violations unfortunately occur."
The Wisconsin Department of Justice and the DWD took action against the company, which will result in the 86 employees either collecting the full amount claimed or $3,000, whichever is the lesser amount. The former workers will share the $144,66517 recovered from the receivership.