SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — Court documents say a Saipan casino developer will pay $3 million to settle U.S. Department of Labor claims that construction workers weren’t paid minimum wages and overtime.
A consent judgment filed Thursday says Hong Kong-based Imperial Pacific will also deposit $100,000 in escrow for any future violations. The company will pay for an independent monitor to inspect worksite conditions and ensure wage law compliance.
Seven Chinese men allege in a lawsuit they were forced to work 12-hour days and live in dorms without showers.
Eugene Sullivan, an attorney for Imperial Pacific, declined to comment.
Last year, four China-based construction firms agreed to pay $14 million in back wages and damages to thousands of Chinese workers building the casino in Saipan, in the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.