20 CFR 655.615 - Cease and desist order.

Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 22, 2024

Title 20 - Employees' Benefits last revised: Sep 30, 2024

View all text of Subpart G [§ 655.600 - § 655.675]

§ 655.615 - Cease and desist order.

(a) If the Administrator determines that reasonable cause exists to conduct an investigation with respect to an attestation, the complainant may request that the Administrator enter a cease and desist order against the employer against whom the complaint is lodged.

(1) The request for a cease and desist order may be filed along with the complaint, or may be filed subsequently. The request, including all accompanying documents, shall be filed in duplicate with the same Wage and Hour Division office that received the complaint.

(2) No particular form is prescribed for a request for a cease and desist order pursuant to this paragraph (a). However, any such request shall:

(i) Be dated;

(ii) Be typewritten or legibly written;

(iii) Specify the attestation provision(s) with respect to which the employer allegedly failed to comply and/or submitted misrepresentation(s) of material fact(s);

(iv) Be accompanied by evidence to substantiate the allegation(s) of noncompliance and/or misrepresentation;

(v) Be signed by the complaining party making the request or by the authorized representative of such party;

(vi) Include the address at which such complaining party or authorized representative desires to receive further communications relating thereto.

(3) Upon receipt of a request for a cease and desist order, the Administrator shall promptly notify the employer of the request. The Administrator's notice shall:

(i) Inform the employer that it may respond to the request and meet with a Wage and Hour Division official within 14 calendar days of the date of the notice;

(ii) Be served upon the employer by facsimile transmission, in person, or by certified or regular mail, at the address of the U.S. agent stated on the employer's attestation;

(iii) Be accompanied by copies of the complaint, the request for a cease and desist order, the evidence submitted by the complainant, and any evidence from other investigation(s) of the same or a closely related matter which the Administrator may incorporate into the record. (Any such evidence from other investigation(s) shall also be made available for examination by the complaining party at the Wage and Hour Division office which issued the notice.)

(4) No particular form is prescribed for the employer's response to the complaining party's request for a cease and desist order under this paragraph (a), however, any such response shall:

(i) Be dated;

(ii) Be submitted by facsimile transmission, in person, by certified or regular mail, or by courier service to the Wage and Hour Division office which issued the notice of the request;

(iii) Be received by the appropriate Wage and Hour Division office no later than 14 calendar days from the date of the notice of the request;

(iv) Be typewritten or legibly written;

(v) Explain, in any detail desired by the employer, the employer's grounds or reasons as to why the Administrator should deny the requested cease and desist order;

(vi) Be accompanied by evidence to substantiate the employer's grounds or reasons as to why the Administrator should deny the requested cease and desist order;

(vii) Specify whether the employer desires an informal meeting with a Wage and Hour Division official;

(viii) Be signed by the employer or its authorized representative; and

(ix) Include the address at which the employer or its authorized representative desires to receive further communications relating thereto, if such address is different from the address of the U.S. agent stated on the attestation.

(5) In the event the employer requests a meeting with a Wage and Hour Division official, the Administrator shall provide the employer and the complaining party, or their authorized representatives, an opportunity for such a meeting to present their views regarding the evidence and arguments submitted by the parties. This shall be an informal meeting, not subject to any procedural rules. The meeting shall be held within the 14 calendar days permitted for the employer's response to the request for the cease and desist order, and shall be held at a time and place set by the Wage and Hour Division official, who shall notify the parties.

(6) After receipt of the employer's timely response and after any informal meeting which may have been held with the parties, the Administrator shall promptly issue a written determination, either denying the request or issuing a cease and desist order. In making the determination, the Administrator shall consider all the evidence submitted, including any evidence from the same or a closely related matter which the Administrator has incorporated into the record and provided to the employer. If the Administrator determines that the complaining party's position is supported by a preponderance of the evidence submitted, the Administrator shall order that the employer cease the activities specified in the determination, until the completion of the Administrator's investigation and any subsequent proceedings pursuant to § 655.625 of this part, unless the prohibition is lifted by subsequent order of the Administrator because it is later determined that the employer's position was correct. While the cease and desist order is in effect, ETA shall suspend the subject attestation, either in whole or in part, and shall not accept any subsequent attestation from the employer for the activity(ies) and U.S. port or location in the State of Alaska at issue.

(7) The Administrator's cease and desist order shall be served on the employer at the address of its designated U.S. based representative or at the address specified in the employer's response, by facsimile transmission, personal service, or certified mail.

(b) If the Administrator determines that reasonable cause exists to conduct an investigation with respect to a complaint that a non-attesting employer is not entitled to the automated vessel exception to the requirement for the filing of an attestation, a complaining party may request that the Administrator enter a cease and desist order against the employer against whom the complaint is lodged.

(2) No particular form is prescribed for a request for a cease and desist order pursuant to this paragraph. However, any such request shall:

(i) Be dated;

(ii) Be typewritten or legibly written;

(iii) Specify the circumstances which allegedly require that the employer be denied the use of the automated vessel exception;

(iv) Be accompanied by evidence to substantiate the allegation(s);

(v) Be signed by the complaining party making the request or by the authorized representative of such party; and

(vi) Include the address at which such complaining party or authorized representative desires to receive further communications relating thereto.

(3) Upon receipt of a request for a cease and desist order, the Administrator shall notify the employer of the request. The Administrator's notice shall:

(i) Inform the employer that it may respond to the request and meet with a Wage and Hour Division official within 14 calendar days of the date of the notice;

(ii) Be served upon the employer by facsimile transmission, in person, or by certified or regular mail, at the employer's last known address; and

(4) No particular form is prescribed for the employer's response to the complaining party's request for a cease and desist order under this paragraph (b). However, any such response shall:

(i) Be dated;

(ii) Be submitted by facsimile transmission, in person, by certified or regular mail, or by courier service to the Wage and Hour Division office which issued the notice of the request;

(iii) Be received by the appropriate Wage and Hour Division office no later than 14 calendar days from the date of the notice of the request;

(iv) Be typewritten or legibly written;

(v) Explain, in any detail desired by the employer, the employer's grounds or reasons as to why the Administrator should deny the requested cease and desist order;

(vi) Be accompanied by evidence to substantiate the employer's grounds or reasons as to why the Administrator should deny the requested cease and desist order;

(vii) Specify whether the employer desires an informal meeting with a Wage and Hour Division official;

(viii) Be signed by the employer or its authorized representative; and

(ix) Include the address at which the employer or its authorized representative desires to receive further communications relating thereto.

(6) After receipt of the employer's timely response and after any informal meeting which may have been held with the parties, the Administrator shall promptly issue a written determination, either denying the request or issuing a cease and desist order. If the Administrator determines that the complaining party's position is supported by a preponderance of the evidence submitted, the Administrator shall order that the employer cease the use of alien crewmembers to perform the longshore activity(ies) specified in the order. In making the determination, the Administrator shall consider all the evidence submitted, including any evidence from the same or a closely related matter which the Administrator has incorporated into the record and provided to the employer. The order shall remain in effect until the completion of the investigation and any subsequent hearing proceedings pursuant to § 655.625 of this part, unless the employer files and maintains on file with ETA an attestation pursuant to § 655.520 of this part or unless the prohibition is lifted by subsequent order of the Administrator because it is later determined that the employer's position was correct.

(7) The Administrator's cease and desist order shall be served on the employer or its designated representative by facsimile transmission, personal service, or by certified mail at the address specified in the employer's response or, if no such address was specified, at the employer's last known address.

authority: Section 655.0 issued under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(E)(iii), 1101(a)(15)(H)(i) and (ii), 8 U.S.C. 1103(a)(6), 1182(m), (n), and (t), 1184(c), (g), and (j), 1188, and 1288(c) and (d); sec. 3(c)(1), Pub. L. 101-238, 103 Stat. 2099, 2102 (8 U.S.C. 1182 note); sec. 221(a), Pub. L. 101-649, 104 Stat. 4978, 5027 (8 U.S.C. 1184 note); sec. 303(a)(8), Pub. L. 102-232, 105 Stat. 1733, 1748 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note); sec. 323(c), Pub. L. 103-206, 107 Stat. 2428; sec. 412(e), Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681 (8 U.S.C. 1182 note); sec. 2(d), Pub. L. 106-95, 113 Stat. 1312, 1316 (8 U.S.C. 1182 note); 29 U.S.C. 49k; Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135, as amended; Pub. L. 109-423, 120 Stat. 2900; 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(i); 8 CFR 214.2(h)(6)(iii); and sec. 6, Pub. L. 115-218, 132 Stat. 1547 (48 U.S.C. 1806)

source: 42 FR 45899, Sept. 13, 1977, unless otherwise noted.

cite as: 20 CFR 655.615