Houston firm sued by Labor Department for overtime pay failures

Kinder Morgan, an industry leader in pipeline transportation and energy storage, has been sued by the U.S. Department of Labor for failing to compensate its workers with approximately $1 million in overtime pay.

According to the Labor Department, the Houston, Texas-based manufacturer owes that lump sum to roughly 4,500 current employees and former operators, technicians, maintenance workers and others

The Labor Department accuses Kinder Morgan of failing to meet the standards mandated by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Additionally, the Labor Department has pursued a court-ordered statement that will affirm all eligible workers receive their payment and that Kinder Morgan be prevented from repeating such failures.

"There is no excuse for denying workers their rightful wages, and this lawsuit demonstrates that the department will use all available enforcement tools, including litigation and penalties, to ensure accountability and compliance with the law," Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said in a statement.

Conversely, the Houston Fire Department has taken care of its own. The Houston Chronicle reports that the HFD issued more than $8.7 million to firefighters who left the department in 2010 - a 6 percent jump from the previous year.

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