More Tala Enterprise Troubles

News Channel 3 first broke the story about troubles at Tala Enterprise, in Thousand Palms. We continue to ask tough questions about the company and find out why employees can’t get paid. And now, two former employees are taking the owner to court. Since our story first aired, we’ve heard from more employees and even a local business waiting for their money, but Liat Tala isn’t paying up. This is what happened last week, when we tried to get answers from Tala.

Tamara: “I’m Tamara, from News Channel 3. We have some statements from employees who say they can’t cash their checks. Would you like to comment? They say you’re writing bad checks.”

Liat: “That is not correct. All the employees are receiving correct compensation.”

Tamara: “What would you like to say to the employees that say they haven’t?”

Liat: “They should contact us directly.”

Tamara: “They say that the have.”

Liat: “They have not.”

Tamara: “But, they say they have contacted you.”

Liat: “They have not. And in the future, I think the appropriate thing to do is to let me know in advance before you come here.”

Tamara: “Anything else you’d like to say?”

Liat: “Sure, to get in touch with me. I’d be more than happy to speak to them.”

Tamara: “How’s business going?”

Liat: “Very well, thank you.”

Tamara: “Thank you.”

Liat: “Go F*** yourself!”

Katy Tomas, who owns Tony Tomas Cleaning Service tells us, “When I saw on TV, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s not good!'”

That’s how many people reacted after our story aired. And, more employees told us they’ve asked Tala for their money and she just won’t come through.

Elizabeth Leon is a former employee who tells us, “We went like maybe four times and she kept telling us the same thing, tomorrow, tomorrow and we just got tired of it.”

Leon and her mother-in-law, Paulina, worked at Tala Enterprise for a month, sewing tags on shirts and trying to cash bad paychecks. Leon says, “”We kept wanting to ask her to pay and she wouldn’t. She had us coming and going and telling us tomorrow and Monday and the way she treated us, hanging up on us or trying to get us out by saying Monday, kicking us out. That’s when I got tired of it and I’m not going to deal with this anymore . I’m taking her to court.”

They want the $300.00 they’ve each earned. Leon says, “We’re not here to work for free, especially the way the economy is and the gas is right now. I’m driving from Coachella to Thousand Palms for free? No. Especially not with a son.”

Elizabeth and Paulina met us at small claims court, in Indio, with the support of other employees who’s paychecks bounced. But, Liat Tala didn’t show up. Former employee, Karen Kain says, “I’m surprised that she didn’t send a representative down, at least. But, I guess it doesn’t matter to her. We’re not important.”

The judge temporarily dismissed the case and asked the workers to refile their paperwork. Leon says, “Because we didn’t have Tala Enterprise and just put Liat Tala. Now, we have to do it all over again, for new court date.”

It’s the same story for at least one local company doing business with Tala. Katie Tomas owns Tony Tomas Cleaning Service, in Palm Desert. She says Tala owes her close to $700.00 dollars of hard earned money. She says, “Everything was too much money and what she thought people should earn. It was like, yeah, in the year 1900! But now it’s different. It was not easy and I was not willing to go forward. We did one day and we stopped. We didn’t do anymore.”

At its grand opening, Tala Enterprise promised to “bring manufacturing back to america.” Something that may not happen. Congresswoman, Mary Bono Mack says, “I think she presented to everybody, to CVEP and myself and others, that she was gung-ho, rarin’ to go and I think had she been a little more forthcoming that a lot of people would have said, ‘Wait a minute, here.'”

Tomas agrees, “Because you don’t hire people when you don’t have the money to pay them. My concern is that they get their salaries for the work they’ve done.”

The court date has been rescheduled for May 7th. Two more employees have also filed. We will continue to follow the story and bring you any new developments.