Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1 (9th Cir. 1968). · Go Syfert
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Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1 (9th Cir. 1968). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
“the small size of appellees' business and the possible hardship caused them by having to pay the withheld wages and compensation do not warrant refusing the restraint.”
85 citation events (5 in the last 25 years) across 23 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: WALSH v. FUSION JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE, INC. (pawd, 2022-02-09)
Treatment trajectory · 1968 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1968 1997 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 26 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (verbatim quote) WALSH v. FUSION JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE, INC.
W.D. Pa. · 2022 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence high
the small size of appellees' business and the possible hardship caused them by having to pay the withheld wages and compensation do not warrant refusing the restraint.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Reich v. Ibp, Inc.
10th Cir. · 1994 · confidence medium
Tools, Inc., 666 F.2d 148, 157 (5th Cir.1982). 16 We believe the Fifth Circuit has enunciated the proper standard on this issue: 17 While a restitutionary injunction need not issue as a matter of course upon a finding of past wages due, the district court's discretion to deny the injunction where it makes such a finding is severely limited and must be exercised with an eye to the purposes of the act. 18 Grantham, 690 F.2d at 456 . 19 Once a finding of past due wages is made, however, the district court's discretion to refuse the Secretary's request for a restitutionary injunction is limited, a…
cited Cited as authority (rule) Reich v. IBP, Inc.
10th Cir. · 1994 · confidence medium
Donovan v. Sabine Irrigation Co., 695 F.2d 190, 197 (5th Cir.1983); see also Dunlop v. Gray-Goto, Inc., 528 F.2d 792, 796 (10th Cir.1976); Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir.1968).
cited Cited as authority (rule) McLaughlin v. DialAmerica Marketing, Inc.
D.N.J. · 1989 · confidence medium
Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir.1968).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Donovan v. Sovereign Security, Ltd.
2d Cir. · 1984 · confidence medium
See Hodgson v. Wheaton Glass Co., supra, 446 F.2d at 535 ; Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir.1968).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Donovan v. Sovereign Security, Ltd.
2d Cir. · 1984 · confidence medium
See Hodgson v. Wheaton Glass Co., supra, 446 F.2d at 535 ; Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir.1968).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union v. Raymond J. Donovan
unknown court · 1983 · confidence medium
See Hodgson v. YB Quezada, 498 F.2d 5, 6 (9th Cir.1974) (“[T]he restraint embodied in Section 17 serves at least two important purposes: it serves to increase the effectiveness of the Act by depriving a violator of any gains resulting from his violation, and it protects those employers who comply with the Act from unfair competition by those who do not comply.”); Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir.1968) (same). 19 .In some circumstances, this will be because the underpaid workers are not in a position to sue for back wages, even though they might like to do so.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Donovan v. Crisostomo
9th Cir. · 1982 · signal: cf. · confidence medium
Cf. Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968) (holding that a suit to prevent withholding of minimum wages and overtime compensation is meant to indicate a public right); and Crawford Production Co. v. Bearden, 272 F.2d 100, 103 (10th Cir. 1059) holding that an employee is not in privity with the Secretary for res judicata purposes with respect to issues of recordkeeping and overtime compensation.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Donovan v. Crisostomo
9th Cir. · 1982 · signal: cf. · confidence medium
Cf. Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968) (holding that a suit to prevent withholding of minimum wages and overtime compensation is meant to indicate a public right); and Crawford Production Co. v. Bearden, 272 F.2d 100, 103 (10th Cir. 1059) holding that an employee is not in privity with the Secretary for res judicata purposes with respect to issues of recordkeeping and overtime compensation. 24 This testimony falls short of being admissible under Fed.R.Evid. 804(b)(3).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Raymond J. Donovan, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor v. Brown Equipment and Service Tools, Inc. (2×) also: Cited "see, e.g."
5th Cir. · 1982 · confidence medium
Therefore, if the court refuses to order the payment of back wages in the Secretary’s suit, the employees “will have a legal right to that money without any means to enforce it.” Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Ray Marshall, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor v. Chala Enterprises, Inc., Dba Chala Tire Co.
9th Cir. · 1981 · confidence medium
“It must be remembered that restraining appellees from withholding the . .. overtime compensation is meant to vindicate a public, rather than a private, right, and that the withholding of the money due is considered a 'continuing public offense.’ ” Wirtz v. Maithor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968); Wirtz v. Jones, 340 F.2d 901 (5th Cir. 1965).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Ray Marshall, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor v. I. L. Van Matre, an Individual, Doing Business as Kee Products
8th Cir. · 1980 · confidence medium
It must be remembered that [ordering payment of unpaid back wages and] restraining [the employer] from withholding the minimum wages . . . [are] meant to vindicate a public, rather than a private, right, and that the withholding of money due is considered a “continuing public offense.” Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968) (citations omitted); cf. Hodgson v. Taylor, 439 F.2d 288, 290 (8th Cir. 1971) (per curiam) (financial hardship no grounds for refusing injunctive relief).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) John T. Dunlop, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor v. Samuel G. Saghatelian, Individually and D/B/A Valley Bakery
9th Cir. · 1975 · confidence medium
(See Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1 at 3 (9th Cir. 1968); for an enumeration of § 17’s legislative purposes.) In the instant case, the purposes of § 17 may all be met without the need of decreeing a restitutionary injunction.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Lerwill v. Inflight Services, Inc.
N.D. Cal. · 1974 · confidence medium
Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968), and eases cited therein.
cited Cited as authority (rule) Brennan v. Board of Education, Jersey City, New Jersey
D.N.J. · 1974 · confidence medium
Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968); thus an injunction will issue. 21.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) 7 Fair empl.prac.cas. 627, 7 Empl. Prac. Dec. P 9233 R. L. Johnson, Plaintiff-Appellant-Cross v. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Synthetic Rubber Plant, Defendants-Appellees-Cross International Union of Operating Engineers, Afl-Cio, Local Union No. 347, Defendant-Appellee-Cross International Union of Operating Engineers, Afl-Cio, Local Union No. 347, Plaintiff-Cross v. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Houston Chemical Plant, Defendant-Appellee-Cross
5th Cir. · 1974 · confidence medium
Co., 396 U.S. 258, 265 , 90 S.Ct. 417 , 24 L.Ed.2d 405 (1969); American Machinery Corp. v. N.L.R.B., American Machinery Corp. v. N.L.R.B., 424 F.2d 1321, 1328-1330 (5th Cir. 1970); Laidlaw Corp. v. N.L.R.B., 414 F.2d 99, 107 (7th Cir. 1969), cert. denied, 397 U.S. 920 , 90 S.Ct. 928 , 25 L.Ed.2d 100 (1970); Hodgson v. American Can Co., 440 F.2d 916, 922 (8th Cir. 1971); Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968); Shultz v. Mistletoe Express Service, Inc., 434 F.2d 1267, 1272 (10th Cir. 1970).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Johnson v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
5th Cir. · 1974 · confidence medium
Co., 396 U.S. 258, 265 , 90 S.Ct. 417 , 24 L.Ed.2d 405 (1969); American Machinery Corp. v. N.L.R.B., 424 F.2d 1321, 1328-1330 (5th Cir. 1970); Laidlaw Corp. v. N.L.R.B., 414 F.2d 99, 107 (7th Cir. 1969), cert. denied, 397 U.S. 920 , 90 S.Ct. 928 , 25 L.Ed.2d 100 (1970); Hodgson v. American Can Co., 440 F.2d 916, 922 (8th Cir. 1971); Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968); Shultz v. Mistletoe Express Service, Inc., 434 F.2d 1267, 1272 (10th Cir. 1970).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Love v. Temple University—of Commonwealth System of Higher Education
E.D. Pa. · 1973 · confidence medium
Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968); Hodgson v. Wheaton Glass Co., 446 F.2d 527, 535 (3rd Cir. 1971); Wirtz v. Jones, 340 F.2d 901 , 904-905-(5th Cir. 1965).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Hodgson v. Board of Ed., Parsippany-Troy Hills
D.N.J. · 1972 · confidence medium
The legislative history of the injunctive enforcement provision was used by the Ninth Circuit in Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9 Cir. 1968) to characterize that relief, in that: .
discussed Cited "see" James D. Hodgson, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor v. Yb Quezada, Individually and D/B/A La Bonita Food Products (2×)
9th Cir. · 1974 · signal: see · confidence high
See Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1 (9th Cir., 1968).
cited Cited "see" James D. Hodgson, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor v. Ellis Transportation Co., a Corporation, and Wade G. Ellis
9th Cir. · 1972 · signal: see · confidence high
See Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1 (9th Cir. 1968).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Troy State University, the State of Alabama, and Its Board of Trustees of Troy State University
11th Cir. · 1982 · signal: see also · confidence low
See also Wirtz v. Malthor, 391 F.2d 1 , 3 (9th Cir.1968) (“[T]he amendment made ... in 1961 withdraws an employee’s right to sue for the unpaid wages and overtime compensation due him under the FLSA if the Secretary files an action against the employer .... ”).
cited Cited "see, e.g." Donovan v. S & L Development Co.
9th Cir. · 1981 · signal: see also · confidence medium
See also Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968).
cited Cited "see, e.g." Donovan v. Development Co.
9th Cir. · 1981 · signal: see also · confidence medium
See also Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968).
cited Cited "see, e.g." Marshall v. Coach House Restaurant, Inc.
S.D.N.Y. · 1978 · signal: see also · confidence low
See also Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1 (9th Cir. 1968).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." John T. Dunlop, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor v. The State of New Jersey (2×)
3rd Cir. · 1975 · signal: see, e.g. · confidence medium
See e.g., Wirtz v. Malthor, Inc., 391 F.2d 1, 3 (9th Cir. 1968).
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
W. Willard Wirtz, Secretary of Labor, United States Department of Labor
v.
Malthor, Inc., a Corporation, Doing Business as Purity French Bakery, and Antonio Malfa, Individually and as President of Malthor, Inc.
21322_1.
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Apr 18, 1968.
391 F.2d 1
Cited by 6 opinions  |  Published

391 F.2d 1

W. Willard WIRTZ, Secretary of Labor, United States
Department of Labor, Appellant,
v.
MALTHOR, INC., a corporation, doing business as Purity
French Bakery, and Antonio Malfa, Individually and
as President of Malthor, Inc., Appellees.

No. 21322.

United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit.

March 7, 1968, Rehearing Denied April 18, 1968.

Bessie Margolin, Associate Solicitor (argued), Charles Donahue, Solicitor of Labor, Robert E. Nagle, William Fauver, Attorneys, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., Altero D'Agostini, Regional Attorney, U.S. Department of Labor, San Francisco, Cal., for appellant.

Samuel B. Francovich (argued), Melvin Schaengold, Reno, Nev., for appellee.

Before MADDEN, Judge of the United States Court of Claims, and JERTBERG and DUNIWAY, Circuit Judges.

JERTBERG, Circuit Judge:

[*~1]1

The Secretary of Labor brought this action under 17 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (Act of June 25, 1938, c. 676, 52 Stat. 1060, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 201 et seq., i9 U.S.C. 217)[1] to enjoin appellees from violating the Act's monetary, record-keeping and shipping requirements, and from withholding unpaid minimum wages and overtime compensation due certain of their employees. The district court below found that the appellees were subject to the Act, that they had repeatedly violated it, and that their wage violations had resulted in underpayments of $5,576.73 due 66 of their present and former employees. The district court issued an injunction against future violations, but refused to order payment of the back wages and overtime compensation. Appellant appeals from that refusal.

2

The district court in its opinion explained the refusal to order payment of the back wages and overtime compensation:

3

'The equitable considerations which influence the Court in this case are the facts that defendants acted in good faith in the belief that the Purity French Bakery business did not come within the coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act. A relatively minor (although legally substantial) portion (three and six-tenths) of defendants' gross production moved in interstate commerce, and the commencement of the interstate movements, i.e., the sales to the distributors, were purely local transactions completed by defendants in Reno, Nevada. Defendants had reasonable cause to believe that the business as conducted did not come within the Act, and defendants' violations of the Act were not wilful.' Wirtz v. Malthor, 254 F.Supp. 475, 477 (D.Nev.1966).

The court then concluded that:

4

'The public interest does not require it (an order requiring payment of the back wages), and such an order would constitute nothing more than an unwarranted penalty against the employer.' Id. at 478.

[*~2]5

Appellant moved the district court to reconsider its refusal. The court did so, but still refused to order payment. In a supplemental opinion, the district court said that because the appellees' violations were not wilful, because the business was small so ordering payment of the back wages might prove a hardship for it, and because the public interest was well enough protected by the injunction against future violations, payment of the back wages was not required.

[*3]6

The Secretary's appeal is well taken. We find the district court's reasons for refusing to issue the requested restraint inadequate. In regard to good faith, the district court itself found that the appellees 'should have known that a substantial portion of their bakery products was being transported in interstate commerce.' In any event, any lack of wilfulness on the part of these appellees does not justify freeing them from having to make restitution. Burk Builders, Inc. v. Wirtz, 355 F.2d 451 (5th Cir. 1966), affirming Wirtz v. Burk Builders, Inc., 17 WH Cases 109, 52 Labor Cases #31,726 (S.D.Fla.1964); Wirtz v. Miller, 226 F.Supp. 15 (E.D.N.C.1964); Wirtz v. Hartleys, Inc., 245 F.Supp. 101 (S.D.Fla.1965); See Wirtz v. English, 17 WH Cases, 52 Labor Cases #31,716 (D.Kan.1965). Likewise, the small size of appellees' business and the possible hardship caused them by having to pay the withheld wages and compensation do not warrant refusing the restraint. Fortuna Broom Co. v. Wirtz, 379 F.2d 327 (5th Cir. 1967) affirming Wirtz v. Fortuna Broom Co., 17 WH Cases 293, 53 Labor Cases #31,785 (S.D.Tex.1966).

7

It must be remembered that restraining appellees from withholding the minimum wages and overtime compensation is meant to vindicate a public, rather than a private, right, and that the withholding of the money due is considered a 'continuing public offense.' Wirtz v. Jones, 340 F.2d 901 (5th Cir. 1965) Burk Builders, Inc. v. Wirtz, supra; Wirtz v. English, supra. The 1961 amendment of Section 17 (29 U.S.C. 217) authorizing the restraint that the Secretary requests here had at least two purposes. First, the restraint was meant to increase the effectiveness of the enforcement of the Act by depriving a violator of any gains accruing to him through his violation. Second, the amendment was meant to protect those employers who comply with the Act from having to compete unfavorably with employers who do not comply. (Senate Report No. 145, 87th Cong., First Session, 1961; 1961 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin. News 1620 at 1658-1659). Those public purposes can be fulfilled in this case only by restraining the appellees from further withholding the unpaid compensation.

8

In addition, the amendment made to Section 16(b) (29 U.S.C. 216(b))[2] in 1961 withdraws an employee's right to sue for the unpaid wages and overtime compensation due him under the FLSA if the Secretary files an action against the employer and seeks restraint of any further withholding of unpaid wages, as was done here. Thus, if the appellees are not restrained from further withholding of the unpaid compensation due their employees, those employees will have a legal right to that money without any means to enforce it. Such a situation should be avoided whenever possible. Wirtz v. English, supra. To carry out the purposes of the 1961 amendments to Section 16(b), as well as those to Section 17, the district court should have granted the requested restraint here.

9

The judgment of the district court, insofar as it denies prayer for wage relief, is reversed, and the cause is remanded to the district court with instructions to enter an injunction restraining appellees from further withholding the minimum wages and overtime compensation found to be due for past and present employees.

1

29 U.S.C. 217, as amended, provides:

'The district courts, * * * shall have jurisdiction, for cause shown, to restrain violations of section 215 of this title, including in the case of violations of section 215(a)(2) of this title the restraint of any withholding of payment of minimum wages or overtime compensation found by the court to be due to employees under this chapter * * *'

2

26 U.S.C. 216(b), as amended, provides:

'* * * The right provided by this subsection to bring an action by or on behalf of any employee, and the right of any employee to become a party plaintiff to any such action, shall terminate upon the filing of a complaint by the Secretary of Labor in an action under section 217 of this title in which restraint is sought of any further delay in the payment of unpaid minimum wages, or the amount of unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, owing to such employee under section 206 or 207 of this title by an employer liable therefor under the provisions of this subsection.'