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The U.S. Department of Labor now has a preliminary federal court injunction against the operator of 14 Subway sandwich shops in the Bay Area, including six in Sonoma County. The order forbids the operator, John Michael Meza of Brentwood, from violating child labor laws, threatening and retaliating against workers, and obstructing a federal investigation. The injunction follows claims of wage theft and unsafe working conditions at the restaurants. The claims were first made by several teen employees, who spoke with the Press Democrat in March. They said the restaurant operator failed to pay employees on time, bounced checks, illegally withheld tips, and denied bathroom breaks. They also claimed employees as young as 15 were forced to work alone at three restaurants in Petaluma and one each in Santa Rosa, Windsor, and Cotati.