Fourteen garment manufacturers in Los Angeles were cited for labor law and garment registration violations, the California Labor Commissioner’s office announced on Thursday.

After the office inspected 18 companies in August, 14 were cited and fined an aggregate of $372,135. This included $275,835 for seven employers operating without workers compensation insurance. The office said it also confiscated 5,725 illegally manufactured garments, worth $103,000, from six businesses.

“Garment manufacturers who thwart the law threaten workers’ rights and undermine honest employers in the industry, making it difficult for legitimate businesses to succeed,” Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su said.

Citation reasons ranged from failure to register as a garment manufacturer, failure to display garment registration and maintaining required records.

The Garment Manufacturing Act of 1980 requires that all industry employers register with the Labor Commissioner and prove that they have workers’ compensation insurance coverage. Garment manufacturers who contract with unregistered entities are automatically deemed joint employers of the workers in the contract facility, the office said.

Manufacturing and trade reporter Shwanika Narayan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @shwanika.