by DC Jobs with Justice | Aug 6, 2014 | Actions & Events, Press
After Tito’s workers stood up against wage theft, massive amounts of unpaid overtime, and exploitation based on immigration status, their employer responded with illegal firings and by threatening to call ICE. Finally, after a year of organizing with International Union of Painters and Allied Trades they had their first hearing at the NLRB on those complaints on August 4, 2014. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Vice President of AFL-CIO Tefere Gebre and others joined the workers for a speakout today in front of the NLRB. DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton stated, “You have courage. Don’t lose it; you are going to win!” Tefere Gebre, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President said that “For every one of you there are tens of thousands of workers who are afraid to stand up. Keep on fighting, keep on working!” Thanks to DC Employment Justice Center, Washington DC Building and Construction Trades Council @National Guestworker Alliance Congress of Day Laborers/Congreso de Jornaleros, the delegation of New Orleans construction workers, and all our allies who joined us in solidarity with these workers! Everyone deserves just treatment, regardless of their...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Jun 4, 2014 | Projects
Tuesday was an eventful day at the DC Council! After years of grassroots organizing, the “Ban the Box” and “Wage Theft” bills were voted on by the DC Council for their first time. The Wage Theft Prevention Act of 2014 aims to put in place stronger policies to deter unscrupulous employers from cheating their employees out of their wages. As it currently stands, there are few effective ways for workers to recover wages they are owed and little protection for employees that speak out against their bosses wage theft practices. This system makes it easy for employers to get away with stealing from their workers and creates a disadvantage for businesses that follow the law properly. DC JwJ and the Wage Theft Coalition have been advocating for the current bill, championed by by Councilmember Vincent Orange, which proposes to change that by putting in place penalties and fines from employers that commit wage theft and creating a better process for workers to recover their money. DC residents, workers, and advocates gathered outside the DC Council at 9:30am for a rally highlight the issues of wage theft and employment discrimination against returning citizens. Before the initial vote on the Ban the Box and Wage Theft Prevention bills, a clear message was sent to councilmembers: “Stand with Workers! Apoye los trabajadores!.” Allies and supporters from the Wage Theft Coalition and Ban the Box advocates filled the council hearing room to highlight the importance of these bills. Despite strong support from councilmembers, the DC Chamber of Commerce and other business interests groups had been lobbying behind the scenes for amendments they hoped could water down the strength of...
by DC Jobs with Justice | Mar 17, 2014 | Projects
Cold weather didn’t stop over 75 people from showing up on the steps of the City Council on Friday morning for a rally calling for an end to wage theft in the District and the passage of new legislation to tackle the issue. The crowd gathered with signs and “No Wage Theft” stickers at 8:30 AM before the scheduled committee hearing on the Wage Theft Prevention Act of 2014. The bill, co-introduced by Councilmembers Orange (At- large), Cheh (Ward 4), and Graham (Ward 1) with a number of co-sponsors, will create better protections for workers that speak out for their rights, as well as create a mechanism for issuing enforceable judgements at the Office of Wage-Hour that can result in penalties for employers that repeatedly break the law. Community members shared their moving stories and demanded and end to wage theft during the rally outside before the committee hearing. Beyond explaining that people should be paid fairly for the work they do, speakers also adamantly stated that wage theft is an issue that hurt everyone. By not penalizing employers that break the law, business that do the right are at a competitive disadvantage, since not paying workers effectively becomes an interest-free loan. Ari Weissbard, Director of the Employment Justice Center, explained in his testimony that DC received an F on a recent study as a result of how widespread wage theft is in the city. “A worker is more likely to be robbed by their employer than they are on the street or at home.” Yet, while there are channels to receive renumeration for most theft and penalties against...
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 5, 2012 | Campaigns
Read TOXIC EXPOSURE, a report culiminated by a yearlong undercover investigation into the practices of the asbestos abatement industry in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. It exposes an industry that routinely violates the law, harms its employees, and fails to protect the safety of its workers. READ MORE about this investigation. Click here to view video testimony, “The Devil’s Dust: DC Metro Area Latino Asbestos Workers”. Resources Asbestos Fact Sheet News Coverage Links Asbestos Report Finds Poor Conditions For Workers Asbestos Exposure Grave problemática en sector de la construcción Baltimore-Washington Asbestos Contractors Flout Safety Standards, Union Report Says NIST contractor accused of putting worker health at risk Hispanic Workers in Asbestos Industry Face Language Hurdles, Disease Dangers Asbestos Abatement Toxic in Mid-Atlantic Region...
