Wage Theft Rises as Employers Take Advantage of Slow Recovery to Steal Millions of Dollars
U.S. Department of Labor Holds a Hearing in the Southeast side of Chicago on Wage Theft and Identifies Solutions
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) joins with National People’s Action and Centro de Trabajadores Unidos: Immigrant Workers Project (CTU), West Suburban Action Project/Proyecto de Accion de los Suburbios del Oeste (PASO) and Latinos Unidos para Cambio de IAP to hear concerns from wage theft victims and jointly identify solutions that will halt the practice. A hearing was held in Chicago on Saturday, May 21, 2011 where workers provided testimonies and community leaders spoke on issues that directly affect them.
The practice of wage theft has risen as employers take advantage of high unemployment to steal wages from workers who are afraid of joining the unemployment lines, costing the average worker $2,634 yearly. It includes violations of minimum wage laws; not paying time and half overtime pay; forcing workers to work off the clock; workers not receiving their final paychecks; misclassifying employees as independent contractors to avoid paying minimum wage and overtime.
