Years have passed since workers and allies in Washington, DC first started talking about how to end the epidemic of wage theft and what protections would actually make a difference for workers. Tomorrow, May 6th, the DC Council has the chance to make those protections a reality when it votes on the Wage Theft Prevention Act. Nobody will come right out and say they support wage theft, but we know that many Councilmembers are being lobbied and pressured by corporate interests to gut the bill.Tomorrow, the DC Council has a simple choice: stand with workers and families against theft or stand with corporate greed. Will you help us urge them to do the right thing and pass this monumental protection for workers?
Send a message to the DC Council by clicking here!
The DC Council can strike a huge blow against wage theft tomorrow.
Starting at 8:45am before the vote tomorrow, workers and allies will rally outside the Wilson Building to demand action. Workers who have suffered stolen wages and who’ve been long pushing for this bill are especially eager to expose the corporate lobbyists working to preserve wage theft. This is an action you don’t want to miss!
Click here to email the DC Council even if you can’t make the rally tomorrow.
RSVP for the rally here!
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Media Advisory:
D.C. Council Posed to Vote on Bill to Prevent Wage Theft on Tuesday
Victims of Wage Theft will Present Play About its Consequences
The D.C. Council is posed to vote on Tuesday, May 6th on the Wage Theft Prevention Act, a bill that strengthens and expands safeguards against wage theft in the District. Before the vote, supporters of the bill and victims of wage theft will meet on the steps of the Wilson Building to present a short play about the effects of stolen wages on families and DC residents. Following the play and a short rally, workers and their allies will attend the Legislative Meeting at the D.C. Council starting at 10am where they will also be available for press interviews.
What: Rally and Vote for the Wage Theft Prevention Act
When: Tuesday May 6th, 2014, Rally at 9am
Where: Steps of the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Gregorio Hernandez, a member of the Employment Justice Center’s worker committee and construction worker, was paid less than the rate he was promised and is still owed thousands of dollars. He said, “My five children and I need to pay rent, eat, have medicine, and study. With the Wage Theft Prevention Act, I would have had a chance to have a hearing sooner and I would have already been paid.”
The Wage Theft Prevention Act would overhaul wage and hour enforcement in D.C. by creating formal hearings and increased penalties for employers who fail to pay their employees what they promise or what DC law requires. Passing the bill would be a win both for workers and for honest business owners who are currently at a disadvantage trying to compete with unscrupulous businesses that break the law.
Nikki Lewis, Executive Director of DC Jobs with Justice stated, “I hope to see the D.C Council pass this bill which would create a system for workers to have a voice and a pathway to a just hearing. Weakening the Wage Theft Prevention Act by stripping its protections directly hurts low-wage workers, parents and taxpayers in the District.”
A 2009 survey of more than four thousand low-wage workers in American cities found that on average, each low-wage worker lost $51 per week to wage theft, or $2,634 per year. That amounts to 15% of their annual income. For workers who are often living paycheck to paycheck, wage theft can result in incredibly severe consequences, like large fees for missed payments, high-interest loans, and even foreclosures, evictions, and repossessions.