by DC Jobs with Justice | Jan 21, 2014 | Actions & Events, Campaigns
In case you missed it: DC Jobs with Justice, Respect DC and a large, diverse coalition of workers, community organizations, labor unions, faith groups, and businesses won two historic victories for workers’ rights in the District. After years of pushing for living wages for all workers (and specifically at Walmart) and expanding paid sick days to all workers, both campaigns came to an sudden, successful end in December of 2013. Starting in July of this year, the DC minimum wage will climb annually until it reaches $11.50 per hour, and will rise with the cost of living thereafter. And several years after DC became one of the first jurisdictions in the country to pass a paid sick leave law, the Paid Sick Days campaign was able to remove several exclusionary loopholes. What a way to end the year for working families in the District! Stay tuned for more updates as we ensure these laws get funded, go properly enforced, and become public knowledge. See here for an in-depth look at what these two bills offer for workers, courtesy of the DC Employment Justice...
by dcjwjeditor | Mar 7, 2013 | Actions & Events, Immigrant Rights, Projects, Trabajadores Unidos de DC / United Workers of DC, Wage Theft
Chants of “la lucha – sí, la lucha – sí” (the struggle -yes, the struggle – yes) echoed off the DC Council chamber walls as more than 50 workers and community activists packed the Wilson Building on Monday, March 4th to demand more protections for workers against wage theft. DC Jobs with Justice, United Workers of DC, and the DC Wage Theft Coalition accompanied workers as they presented Councilmember Marion Barry with a giant paper bill for outstanding unpaid wages. The bill totaled more than $260,000, yet only represented the wage theft claims of about 40 workers, a small number of the many more victimized by wage theft in Washington, DC. Pledging to seek justice for the workers, Councilmember Barry quoted Frederick Douglass: “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will.” With that, the group filed into the performance oversight hearing for the Department of Employee Services. Witness after witness testified about the inability of the Office of Wage-Hour to protect workers who struggle to recover their rightfully owed wages. United Workers of DC President Carlos Castillo explained, “Without significant changes, going to the Office of Wage-Hour to file claims often becomes a waste of time, of money, and of opportunity to find a good option for daily work for a day laborer.” Moved by this and the many other testimonies from workers and advocates, Councilmember Barry vowed to investigate the workers’ claims, to explore new resources, systems, and funding for the Office of Wage-Hour, and to consider proposing legislation to protect workers against wage theft. Coming off a tremendous victory at popular Georgetown restaurants,...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Dec 4, 2012 | Campaigns
Press Release: October 24, 2012 Contact: Sally Dworak-Fisher or Alexandra Rosenblatt at 410-625-9409 Silver Spring, MD – The Public Justice Center has filed suit on behalf of employees of Bethesda-based staffing agency WMS Solutions, LLC to recover the wages that the company illegally withheld to pay for asbestos workers’ training, health, and equipment costs, and to recover the out-of-pocket funds that employees paid for their own trainings, equipment and/or medical exams. The plaintiffs are also demanding WMS pay its employees for their work attending mandatory trainings and to compensate them at overtime rates when they work more than forty hours in a week. At the time of filing, 36 WMS workers had already filed notices to join the lawsuit, and many more are expected. WMS Solutions, LLC provides temporary workers to construction contractors working in the asbestos, lead, and mold abatement industries. By unlawfully passing along to the workers a significant portion of the enormous costs associated with high employee turnover in these industries, WMS is able to enjoy an illegal competitive advantage over firms that abide by the law while workers foot the bill. “This suit alleges that WMS has unlawfully failed to pay its workers for all work they have performed, and that they have unlawfully required workers to pay for their own health and safety-related costs,” said Public Justice Center Attorney Sally Dworak-Fisher. Former WMS asbestos workers had to pay for his asbestos abatement training and safety equipment out of his own pocket, despite the fact that the law requires the company to provide both free of charge. “I have been forced to pay hundreds of...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Oct 20, 2012 | Walmart: Respect DC
Last weekend Walmart announced that it will delay opening six stores in the District of Columbia. Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo told the Washington Post that “we’re using the extra time to further engage with the neighborhoods that surround our stores and build even more support for Walmart,”. Walmart, which had originally planned to open four stores by the end of the year, now says the first store – most likely at the corner at Georgia and Missouri avenues in Northwest – won’t open until late 2013, with the others in 2014 and beyond.“Walmart would not be altering its original timeline if company executives did not believe it needed more time to convince District residents that low-wage poverty jobs that can force workers to rely on public assistance are what D.C. needs,” said Dyana Forester of Respect DC. The Respect DC Coalition has been pushing the big-box retailer to sign a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). If you would like more information on how you can become involved in the Respect DC campaign visit www.respectdc.org or click on the Walmart:Respect DC icon on our...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jun 14, 2012 | Campaigns, Press, Projects, Trabajadores Unidos de DC / United Workers of DC, Wage Theft
PRESS RELEASE IMMEDIATE RELEASE – UPDATE June 14, 2012 DC WORKERS UNION, DC JOBS WITH JUSTICE, AND METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT CELEBRATE NEW PROCEDURE TO RESOLVE WAGE THEFT COMPLAINTS CONTACT: Arturo Griffiths DC Jobs with Justice PHONE: 202-445-0411 CONTACT: Rachel Sier DC Jobs with Justice PHONE: 202-427-2172 District of Columbia day laborers (Unión de Trabajadores de DC/DC Workers Union) and DC Jobs with Justice announce the development of a new procedure to involve the Metropolitan Police Department in investigating and documenting wage theft cases. On Thursday, June 14th the members of the Unión de Trabajadores de DC/DC Workers Union and DC Jobs with Justice will celebrate this new accord with representatives from the MPD and DOES. The celebration will be held at 7 PM at the Foundry Church located at 1500 P St. NW, Washington, DC For the past several years DC Jobs with Justice has been working with immigrant day laborers to address the rampant problem of wage theft that affects workers throughout the District of Columbia. Wage theft occurs when workers do not get paid for work performed or are laid off without being paid their salary. Carlos Diaz, a member of la Union de Trabajadores de DC, says “Many of us work long hours to make ends meet. But frequently contractors refuse to pay what we are owed at the end of the day. We are happy that the D.C. police will now get involved in assisting us to recover our wages”. This procedure defines the role of the police in supplementing existing institutions by creating a standard protocol and training for officers...
