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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2017)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | August 18, 2017 | PAGE 17 Dems introduce wage theft ban WASHINGTON, D.C. (PAI) — Saying too many bosses steal workers’ wages, congressional Democrats introduced legisla- tion to crack down on wage theft through stiff fines, en- abling worker class action law- suits, and, in the worst cases, threats of criminal prosecution. The measure is designed in particularly to help low-wage workers. Citing Economic Pol- icy Institute data, they said em- ployers steal at least $15 billion yearly from workers. “While the vast majority of employers do the right thing and treat workers fairly, too many others force their workers to work off the clock, refuse to pay workers the minimum wage, deny workers overtime pay even after they work more than 40 hours a week, steal workers’ tips, or knowingly misclassify workers to avoid paying fair wages,”said Senate co-sponsor Ed Markey (D-Mass). Key provisions of the legisla- tion would: • Require employers to pay all wages to a wage theft victim. Current law lets such victims re- cover only the minimum wage, plus overtime pay. • Require employers to provide ini- tial disclosures of the terms of their employment and regular paystubs to all workers, and fine them if they don’t. • Order the employer to give a worker his or her final paycheck within two weeks of the worker’s departure or the by the end of the relevant pay period, whichever is shorter. • Fine the employer $2,000 for each violation of the federal mini- mum wage and overtime pay law, or for not giving workers their “full compensation” when they leave. Willful or repeat of- fenders would face $10,000 fines per violation. Right now, repeaters face $1,100 fines and first-timers aren’t fined at all. • Increase damages wage theft vic- tims can claim, from twice the owed wages to triple the owed wages, plus interest. The worker victim would also have four years, not two, to file a wage- theft claim. And if the employer retaliates against a worker- turned-whistleblower, the em- ployer would face a fine of quadruple the owed wages, plus interest. • Raise the fines on employers who keep sloppy records, or none at all, in their attempts to avoid convictions for wage theft. • Make it easier for employees to take collective action to recover their stolen wages. Right now, workers must ‘opt-in’ to engage in a collective action under the minimum wage and overtime pay law. The new legislation would automatically include them unless they opt out. • Order the Labor Department to send cases of comprehensive wage theft to the Justice Depart- INK ON! PRINTING DIRECT MAIL SIGNS & BANNERS PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS 4824 NE 42nd Avenue Portland, Oregon 97218 503-736-0111 · morelink.biz ment for prosecution of the em- ployers. Democrat Patty Murray of Washington is a co-sponsor of the legislation. New Owners, Same Union Printers!
