Danbury Bakery Accused Of Threatening To Deport Workers: Court

DANBURY, CT — A Danbury bakery owner has been forbidden to retaliate against employees cooperating with a U.S. Department of Labor investigation of his employment practices.

A federal court in Hartford issued the order in a consent preliminary injunction Aug. 4.

The Feds had been investigating Padaminas NY Bakery II and owner Pedro Coelho for potential Fair Labor Standards Act violations.

According to the complaint, Coelho met with his employees on two occasions shortly after the investigation began. During those meetings, Coelho told his employees he would fire them and report them to immigration authorities if they cooperated with the investigation. The complaint also alleges that defendants blacklisted a former employee they believed filed a complaint with the division.

According to the injunction, Coelho may not terminate, threaten to terminate, disparage, blacklist, nor threaten to deport any employee or former employee.

The consent injunction also requires the defendants to permit a division representative to notify all the defendants’ employees on paid working time of their Fair Labor Standards Act rights, which includes their right to speak freely and honestly with the Wage and Hour Division without fear of retaliation, and provide a written notice of FLSA rights to all employees in a language they understand.

"The defendants’ alleged behavior is unlawful and extreme. Seeking to intimidate employees will not halt a Wage and Hour Division investigation. The U.S. Department of Labor will, as in this case, respond with appropriate and expeditious legal action to protect employees’ rights and hold employers accountable for their retaliatory and obstructionist actions,” said regional Solicitor of Labor Maia Fisher in Boston.