Other articles by Becky Pallack:

Tucson teen Gloria a high-caliber performer Sky is the limit for Caballeros' Schultz Sabino's Nelson receiving double-digit offers Cabs star Koch will take game to Phoenix Green Fields Six hitting on all cylinders heading into regional Palo Verde's Price decides to swim for Texas Christian Ironwood Ridge junior Magnuson cuts down time at a 'scary' pace Watkins sets, ties Dorados records Sahuaro, Salpointe athletes choose colleges Santa Rita star Stoglin commits to Terps

Mechanical
Komatsu Equipment Co
Resident Field Mechanic Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION Administrative & Professional
Tucson Urban League
CEO/President Administrative & Professional
Jorgensen Brooks Group
Counselor Finance and Accounting
Charles E. Gillman Company
Accounting Specialist Sales and Marketing
Everready Glass
Sales Reps

Workers statewide have filed 40 minimum-wage complaints against businesses, including five in Tucson, under the state's 10-month-old minimum wage law.

No employers have been penalized, said Randall Maruca, director of the Industrial Commission's labor department. Five complaints were dismissed, 22 were resolved and 13 are open investigations, he said.

"There have been fewer complaints than I had anticipated," Maruca said, perhaps because the Industrial Commission was proactive in launching an education campaign about the new law.

"The relatively small numbers might suggest that for the most part, Arizona employers were prepared and are paying the minimum wage," he said. "It might also suggest that a segment of the public is not aware of the minimum wage."

It also could be that some people don't know how to file a complaint or are afraid of losing their jobs if they complain, said Rebekah Friend, executive director and secretary/treasurer of Arizona AFL-CIO, the group that helped push the ballot initiative through last year.

"I don't imagine if you're an employer not paying minimum wage you're going to tell your employee what avenues are available," she said.

Workers in Tucson filed complaints against Catalina Discount Homes Inc., 16065 N. Oracle Road; Mustang Bar, 6372 S. Nogales Highway; and Tangles Salon & Spa LLC, 8245 N. Silverbell Road.

Each case already has been resolved, Maruca said. Using a temporary enforcement team, the agency tells employers about the complaint and about the new law, then makes sure the company pays workers any overdue wages and agrees to pay at least minimum wage, he said.

Hilda Pesqueira opened Tangles in February and wasn't aware the new law affected her business "because we're a commission-based salon, and I thought it affected people paid hourly," she said.

After one worker complained, she was required to pay a small amount in back wages, even though the worker owed her money, she said. The state doesn't name complainants.

A state inspector was helpful and tried to do what he could to help, she said. Pesqueira has since asked her 10 employees to sign contracts that outline how commissions and wages are paid, and she has workers clock in and out to track their time.

Complaints against Maxim Super Buffet, 6940 E. Broadway, and Dynasty Buffet Inc., 3867 N. Oracle Road, were dismissed by the labor department because the alleged violations happened before the new law took effect in January, Maruca said in an e-mail.

The current minimum wage of $6.75 will increase to $6.90 in January because the law, approved by voters last year, includes annual cost-of-living raises.