Wage Theft Lawyer in Carson

Carson wage theft cases are pursued under California's broad employment-protection framework, including FEHA (Government Code section 12940), Title VII, and Labor Code sections 1102.5/6310. Strict filing deadlines apply: CRD 3 years; EEOC 300 days. We represent employees only, never employers. Free confidential consultation.

What Are Wage and Hour Claims in Carson

Carson workers are entitled to the highest of: federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour), California state minimum wage ($16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026 under California Labor Code section 1182.12), or any applicable local minimum wage. Carson has no separate citywide minimum-wage ordinance; the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour applies. Fast-food workers at chains with 60 or more national locations earn at least $20.00/hour under AB 1228 (California Labor Code section 1474) since April 1, 2024. Healthcare workers at covered facilities earn tiered rates under SB 525 (California Labor Code sections 1182.14, 1182.15, 1182.16) reaching $25/hour at large hospital systems on July 1, 2026.

Carson Industries Where Wage and Hour Violations Are Most Common

• Petroleum-refining and energy workers - at the Marathon Petroleum Los Angeles Refinery (Carson site 2350 East 223rd Street, Wilmington site 2101 E. Pacific Coast Highway - largest refinery on the West Coast with approximately 1,450 employees across both sites; Marathon Petroleum is NYSE: MPC) and the Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery (Wilmington and Carson sites - scheduled to cease operations Q4 2025 per Phillips 66's October 2024 investor notice; Phillips 66 is NYSE: PSX). Covered by Cal/OSHA Process Safety Management standard (8 CCR section 5189), California Labor Code section 6310 retaliation protection, California Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower protection, federal Clean Air Act whistleblower (42 U.S.C. section 7622), Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower (18 U.S.C. section 1514A), and California WARN Act (Labor Code sections 1400-1408 - directly relevant to the Phillips 66 closure).
• Logistics, port-drayage, and distribution workers - across Carson's industrial corridors at the intersection of I-110, I-405, I-710, and the Alameda Corridor rail line. Port-drayage truck drivers are protected against misclassification under California Labor Code section 2775 (ABC test, Dynamex / AB 5 / AB 2257) and against wage theft under California Labor Code section 2810.4 (joint liability of port-drayage motor carriers and their customers). Warehouse workers covered by AB 701 (California Labor Code sections 2100-2112) and client-employer liability under Labor Code section 2810.3.
• Higher-education workers - at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) - 1000 East Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747, (310) 243-3696 - faculty and staff are CSU/state employees covered by the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA - Cal. Government Code sections 3560-3599), with collective bargaining through CFA (faculty), CSUEU, Teamsters Local 2010, and other unions. Protected by Skelly v. State Personnel Board (1975) 15 Cal.3d 194 due-process rights and California Whistleblower Protection Act, Cal. Government Code section 8547.
• Sports, entertainment, and hospitality workers - at Dignity Health Sports Park (18400 Avalon Boulevard - 27,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, home of the LA Galaxy MLS team and the U.S. Soccer Federation men's and women's national teams, operated by AEG; formerly StubHub Center / Home Depot Center). Common claims: wage and hour, tip protections (Labor Code section 351), seasonal-employee misclassification (Labor Code section 2775), Hotel Worker Protection Act (AB 1761, California Labor Code section 6403.7) for adjacent hotel workers, and Cal/OSHA crowd-safety protections.
• Retail and consumer-products workers - at SouthBay Pavilion mall (20700 Avalon Boulevard - includes Old Navy, Gap, and many national chains), IKEA Carson, and along the Avalon Boulevard / Sepulveda Boulevard commercial corridors. Note: Northrop Grumman's former Dominguez Hills facility in Carson closed in 2013 (with ~800 jobs affected) - that site is no longer an active employer. Fast-food workers at chains with 60 or more national locations earn the $20.00/hour AB 1228 floor (California Labor Code section 1474).
• Public-sector workers - at the City of Carson (701 E. Carson Street - charter city since 2018, originally incorporated 1968), Carson public-safety personnel, LAUSD schools serving Carson, and other Los Angeles County agencies. Subject to the 6-month Government Claims Act deadline under Cal. Government Code section 911.2 for parallel tort claims.

Carson Local Protections

Carson has no separate citywide minimum-wage, hotel-worker, fair-workweek, healthcare-worker, or paid-sick-leave ordinance beyond California state law. Carson is a charter city (Measure CA approved November 6, 2018; originally incorporated in 1968) and reserves the right to enact local labor ordinances in the future under its police power. Carson workers currently rely on the state-level floor under California Labor Code section 1182.12 ($16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026) plus industry-specific state rules including AB 1228 ($20/hour fast-food), SB 525 (healthcare-worker tiered schedule), AB 701 (warehouse quotas), and California Labor Code section 2810.4 (port-drayage protection - directly relevant to Carson port-adjacent operations).

California Paid Sick Leave (Labor Code sections 245-249) requires at least 40 hours (5 days) of paid sick leave per year, effective January 1, 2024. The 2026 exempt-salary floor is $70,304/year (twice the state minimum wage, per DIR News 2025-118).

California Law

For the full California wage-and-hour framework, including overtime (Labor Code section 510), meal and rest breaks (sections 512 and 226.7), wage statements (section 226), waiting-time penalties (section 203), expense reimbursement (section 2802), and PAGA (sections 2698 et seq.), see our California employment law page.

What Compensation Can You Recover

Unpaid wages, overtime, missed meal/rest premiums (one hour of pay per missed break), wage-statement penalties (up to $4,000 per employee under Labor Code section 226(e)), waiting-time penalties (up to 30 days of pay under Labor Code section 203), interest, liquidated damages on minimum-wage shortfalls, and attorneys' fees and costs (Labor Code section 1194). For details, see our California employment law page.

How to File a Wage Claim in Carson

Wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE Long Beach Office, 300 Oceangate, 3rd Floor, Long Beach, CA 90802). Civil suits are heard at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Compton Courthouse, 200 West Compton Boulevard, Compton, CA 90220. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.