5 Metro by T-Mobile stores face civil lawsuit from Santa Clara Co.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- Five Metro by T-Mobile stores and their owners are now facing serious allegations and a civil lawsuit from Santa Clara County to go with them.

"Our office has filed a lawsuit against the owners of five Metro by T-Mobile retailer stores in East San Jose and Milpitas for committing rampant violations of Labor Code laws designed to protect the basic rights of workers. Those violations include abuses of child labor laws and minimum wage standards," said Tony LoPresti, County Counsel for Santa Clara County.

The complaint goes back to 2021. It outlines alleged wage theft and other illegal practices.

Investigators say some workers were as young as 14, working long hours without permits, overtime pay, or breaks. County officials say the workers were paid in cash without records, violating wage laws and state oversight.

"The Metro by T-Mobile stores that violated their workers' rights are primarily located in and around East San Jose, a community with lower incomes, higher health disparities, and a higher percentage of non-English speaking households than county wide averages," said Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong, "This is my district. This is my home. These are my constituents, my neighbors, my families, and this will not go, this will not be tolerated here."

The lawsuit names six individuals and several corporations linked to the stores.

ABC7 tried to contact them and spoke with an employee at one of the locations, leaving contact information for a response. We're still waiting to hear back.

In a statement, T-Mobile said: "Metro by T-Mobile stores are independently owned and operated by third-party retailers. We require every retailer to comply with all laws, especially when it comes to employment practices. We take these concerns seriously and are looking into them."

The county said this is all part of a major push to protect workers from exploitation and to collect unpaid worker wages.

"It's the first of many lawsuits our office will be filing to enforce the labor code. Employers should be crystal clear that we are willing, that we are able, and that we are ready to go to court to ensure they pay a steep price if they exploit their workers," LoPresti said.

The county said workers who are victims of exploitation or wage theft are urged to call its free, multilingual legal advice line for help at 866-870-7725.