Labor Dept. probes NJ gas station wage violations

The federal Labor Department has long been concerned that New Jersey gas stations are paying attendants less than minimum wage and withholding overtime.

And now the department is conducting a yearlong campaign to crack down.

All 20 of its northern New Jersey wage and hour investigators, plus some from southern New Jersey, are spending 12 months probing abuses.

Northern New Jersey division chief Joseph Petrecca says the efforts have gotten workers at least $600,000 in back pay since October.

He also says many New Jersey attendants are low-paid immigrants who don’t want to complain. He wants to educate those workers, their employers and the public about the law.