Press Release  AG Campbell Secures Wages for Workers of C-Mart in Boston, Quincy in $800,000 Settlement

BOSTON — Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office has secured $800,000 in restitution and penalties from the owners of three C-Mart, supermarket stores, which specialize in Asian cuisine and are located in Boston’s South End and Chinatown neighborhoods and in Quincy, for violations of state labor laws including failure to pay overtime and premium pay to its workers.

The C-Mart stores, along with their respective corporate presidents, Maio Kun Fang, Bao Song Qu, and Quxiang Lin, were issued 15 citations in 2021. The citations were the result of an investigation in which the AG’s Fair Labor Division concluded that C-Mart stores failed to furnish true and accurate payroll records, failed to post required workplace notices, including earned sick time posters, and did not properly pay workers for overtime hours or for hours worked on Sundays. The AG’s Office reached this settlement with C-Mart for $800,000 following an appeal from the company and its owners over the 2021 citations.

Most employees in Massachusetts are entitled to time-and-a-half pay when working more than 40 hours a week. During the time period investigated, most retail employees were also entitled to premium pay for time worked on Sundays.

“I am proud of the office’s work to ensure that the workers harmed by C-Mart will get back the wages they are rightfully owed,” said AG Campbell. “My office, and particularly our Fair Labor Division, will continue to hold employers accountable for wage theft and violation of our wage and hour laws.”

“The Chinese Progressive Association applauds Attorney General Campbell and her team for winning this significant settlement and her commitment to end wage theft. We are committed to work with the Office of Attorney General to ensure every worker entitled to back wages will be compensated. We encourage workers to contact the Chinese Progressive Association for help with this claim and any other workplace issues. We also hope to use this opportunity to help more workers learn about their rights and stand up for their rights,” said Fiona Yu, Chinese Progressive Association Worker Center Coordinator.

The AG’s Office will be distributing money to affected C-Mart employees through a claims process. Between now and July, individuals who worked for C-Mart’s Boston and Quincy stores between November 2016 and November 2019 may submit a form, which is available in both English and Chinese, to the AG’s Office. Workers must submit a completed form by July 6 to be eligible to receive a share of the wages collected through the settlement.

AG Campbell is committed to vigorously enforcing wage and hour laws, including laws that ensure minimum wage, timely payment of wages, and overtime. The AG’s Office works with community partners, law schools, and private bar attorneys to host free monthly wage theft clinics at Suffolk Law School in Boston. These clinics are part of an effort to address wage theft and worker exploitation among vulnerable populations, including low-wage and immigrant workers. For more information and a schedule of upcoming clinics, please click here.

Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to file a complaint at www.mass.gov/ago/fld. For information about the state’s wage and hour laws, workers may call the AG’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or go to the this website for materials in 12 languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Chinese.

This press release is also available in Chinese.

This matter was handled by Investigator Lili Wu and Assistant Attorney General Kate Watkins of AG Campbell’s Fair Labor Division.

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