NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - More than 100 workers at a New Jersey immigration detention facility are receiving $4.8 million in back wages and benefits under a settlement between federal regulators, county officials and a company that ran the facility.
The U.S. Labor Department says in a statement dated Sept. 29 that Essex County and Community Education Center, Inc. paid workers at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark lower wages than is legally required.
CEC provides re-entry and in-detention treatment services.
Federal regulators had said 122 “detention officers” who monitored immigrant detainees were wrongly classified as “operations counselors.”
Detention officers made $30.97 an hour. Counselors made $11.29 an hour.
CEC says it feels the employees worked under a collective bargaining agreement and didn’t have the duties or skill sets of “detention officers.”
County officials say they’re happy an amicable resolution was reached.
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