Unpaid Wage Cases in Traverse City, Michigan
Since 2005 the U.S. Department of Labor has found $1.1M in back wages owed to 1,204 workers by Traverse City employers, in 97 cases. Unpaid overtime accounts for 38% of it. The industry with the most back wages is limited-service restaurants.
What workers weren't paid
14 cases involved child labor violations, covering 38 minors.
Industries
Cases with back wages by year
Largest back-wage cases
Oakwood Proper Burgers 1108 E Eighth St
$272K in back wages to 19 workers · $703 in penalties
Limited-Service Restaurants · period investigated Apr 2024–Apr 2026
Skilled Manufacturing Inc. 3680 Cass Road
$153K in back wages to 193 workers
All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing · period investigated Jan 2019–Mar 2021
Great Lakes Striping & Sealing 855 Polaris Crescent Drive
$148K in back wages to 9 workers · $53,319 in penalties
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction · period investigated Apr 2016–Nov 2018
Top Line Electric 5057 Sawyer Woods Drive
$120K in back wages to 24 workers
Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors · period investigated Mar 2020–Mar 2022
Universal Cleaners P.O. Box 1451
$56,734 in back wages to 10 workers · $51,960 in penalties
Janitorial Services · period investigated Apr 2016–Dec 2018
Old Mission Associates 6410 Center Rd
$27,160 in back wages to 8 workers · 2 child labor violations
Landscaping Services · period investigated Apr 2021–Apr 2023
Grand Traverse Pie Co. 525 West Front Street
$22,556 in back wages to 183 workers
Limited-Service Restaurants · period investigated Feb 2017–Feb 2019
Georgina's Taqueria 236 E Front Street
$21,050 in back wages to 15 workers · $43,959 in penalties
Full-Service Restaurants · period investigated Nov 2015–Nov 2017
That'sa Pizza (Hammond) 1110 E. Hammond Rd.
$19,255 in back wages to 22 workers · $11,541 in penalties · 16 child labor violations
Limited-Service Restaurants · period investigated Apr 2019–Apr 2021
Drywall Dynamics, Inc. 9308 E. Lakeview Hills Rd.
$17,438 in back wages to 4 workers
Drywall and Insulation Contractors · period investigated Jan 2012–Jan 2014
Most recent cases
Dino's Pizza period ending May 2026
1 violation, no back wages · Limited-Service Restaurants
Oakwood Proper Burgers period ending Apr 2026
$272K in back wages to 19 workers · $703 in penalties · Limited-Service Restaurants
Firefly Restaurant period ending Mar 2026
$306 in back wages to 4 workers · Full-Service Restaurants
Fuji Sushi Steakhouse period ending Sep 2025
$677 in back wages to 3 workers · Full-Service Restaurants
Alfie Logo Gear period ending Sep 2025
$6,606 in back wages to 16 workers · Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers
North Sky Exteriors period ending May 2024
1 violation, no back wages · All Other Specialty Trade Contractors
Intex Painting period ending Mar 2024
1 violation, no back wages · Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
Northshore Exteriors period ending May 2023
$6,203 in back wages to 6 workers · $1,992 in penalties · Roofing Contractors
Eikenhout, Inc. period ending May 2023
$16,351 in back wages to 91 workers · Other Building Material Dealers
Flaska Landscaping period ending Apr 2023
$1,582 in penalties · 2 child labor violations · Landscaping Services
Zimmerman Landscaping Inc period ending Apr 2023
$3,530 in back wages to 1 worker · Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Stores
Old Mission Associates period ending Apr 2023
$27,160 in back wages to 8 workers · 2 child labor violations · Landscaping Services
J.P. Landscape & Irrigation period ending Apr 2023
$569 in back wages to 2 workers · Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Stores
Traverse Outdoor period ending Mar 2023
$1,062 in back wages to 1 worker · Landscaping Services
AdvisaCare period ending Mar 2023
$419 in back wages to 6 workers · Home Health Care Services
Independence Home Health Care period ending Mar 2023
$277 in back wages to 1 worker · Home Health Care Services
Northern Comfort LLC period ending Mar 2023
$310 in back wages to 1 worker · Home Health Care Services
Angel Heart Home Care period ending Mar 2023
$1,652 in back wages to 1 worker · Other Residential Care Facilities
Comfort Keepers #615 period ending Feb 2023
$13,489 in back wages to 50 workers · Home Health Care Services
Great Lakes Home Care Unlimited period ending Feb 2023
1 violation, no back wages · Other Residential Care Facilities
If you weren't paid what you're owed
Federal law requires at least the minimum wage and time-and-a-half for hours over 40 a week for most hourly workers, and many states set higher minimums. You can file a free, confidential complaint with the Wage and Hour Division or your state labor department, and you can also sue to recover unpaid wages, often with an equal amount in damages and your attorney fees. Deadlines are generally two to three years under federal law.
Labor and employment lawyers in Michigan
Lawbamba lists 10 labor and employment lawyers with an office in Michigan, the practice area that deals with the wage theft cases on this page. These 4 come first in that listing (how the order is set).
Matched by practice area and office location only. These lawyers are not connected to the records on this page and have not reviewed or endorsed it.
Owed wages by a Traverse City employer?
Compare employment lawyers in MichiganOther Michigan cities
- Detroit
$7.6M · 8,887 workers - Grand Rapids
$4.5M · 7,256 workers - Troy
$4.2M · 3,445 workers - Southfield
$3.8M · 5,521 workers - Warren
$2.7M · 4,061 workers - Ann Arbor
$2.4M · 2,983 workers - Lansing
$2.3M · 2,311 workers - Livonia
$2.3M · 1,465 workers
Source: the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforcement data (every concluded compliance action since fiscal year 2005), from the DOL Open Data Portal, loaded November 9, 2026. “Back wages” is the amount employers agreed to pay workers after an investigation found they were underpaid; dates are the end of the period the investigation covered. Employer names and addresses are as DOL publishes them. Federal cases only: state labor departments and private lawsuits recover more that isn't counted here.
Lawbamba is not affiliated with the Department of Labor, and this page is general information, not legal advice.