By a Margin of More than
Two-to-One, New York State Assembly Passes Historic Wage Theft
Prevention Act
Groundbreaking Legislation, Already Passed by State Senate, Awaits
Governor Paterson's Signature
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New
York, November 30, 2010 - Assemblymember Carl Heastie, Senator
Diane Savino, Make the Road New York, the Retail, Wholesale and
Department Store Union, the United Food and Commercial Workers
Union Local 1500, and supporters from labor, community and business
laud the New York State Assembly for today's passage of the Wage
Theft Prevention Act. The WTPA was sponsored by Sentor Savino in
the Senate and Assemblymember Heastie in the Assembly.
Governor Paterson issued a message of necessity Monday, ensuring
that the bill could come up for a vote in the Assembly. It will now
go back to his desk for a signature.
The Wage Theft Prevention Act will increase penalties and tighten
enforcement of the New York laws protecting workers from wage
theft. The National Employment Law Project estimates that more than
$1 billion is stolen
annually from NYC workers alone by unscrupulous employers.
Advocates project that the WTPA will bring in approximately $50
million in increased savings and revenues to help the state
government save valuable programs currently threatened by the
fiscal crisis. The bill protects law abiding businesses from unfair
competition with employers who reduce labor costs by stealing
workers' minimum wages and overtime pay.
Assembly Sponsor Carl Heastie said, "The Wage
Theft Prevention Act is simply the right thing to do. It is the
right thing to do by businesses, and really the right thing to do
by workers across the state."
"Stealing from employees not only hurts families, it hurts
communities. It also makes honest employers less competitive.
Businesses that are good citizens and pay their employees what is
owed them and on time, as is required by law, should not be at a
disadvantage to companies that are illegally withholding wages from
their workers. These rogue employers not only steal wages from
hard-working families who are doing all they can to make ends meet
during these difficult economic times, but also steal much-needed
funds from our city and state coffers," said Senator Diane
J. Savino, Senate sponsor of the bill
"I applaud Speaker Silver, bill sponsor Assemblyman Heastie and the
entire New York State Assembly for passing the Wage Theft
Prevention Act; and look forward to Governor Paterson signing the
bill into law," said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. "Wage theft
is a real concern for retail workers across this city. Every day,
the wages of too many workers are stolen by employers who choose to
ignore minimum wage, overtime pay and other labor laws. The Wage
Theft Prevention Action will increase penalties and strengthen
enforcement against low road employers and give workers the
protections they need and deserve."
Indeed, National Employment Law Project studies demonstrate that
wage theft is rampant in New York -- in NYC alone (the only city
for which data is available), unscrupulous employers steal more
than $18.4 million a week, almost $1 billion each year, from their
workers in the form of wage theft.
The Wage Theft Prevention Act is a comprehensive bill to change the
perverse incentive by increasing penalties, increasing protection
for workers who speak up, and adding tools that the Department of
Labor and Courts can use to investigate cases and actually collect
the money that workers are owed.
Nieves Padilla of Make the Road New York added, "I
have spent the last twelve years fighting with low wage workers to
win back the wages that have been stolen from them. I'm so proud
that today New York is on the verge of being a leader in the fight
against wage theft. Now we'll have the tools to make employers
follow the law."
Deborah Axt, Deputy Director of Make the Road New
York, added, "We are here to thank the Assembly and the
Senate for their ground-breaking work to combat wage theft. This is
comprehensive reform at its best: it makes New York a leader in
combating the worst forms of theft."
On November 17, the New York City Council unanimously passed a
Resolution calling on the State to Pass the WTPA This
Year.
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Make the Road New York
(MRNY) is the largest participatory immigrant organization in New
York City with more than 8,000 members. With vibrant community
centers in the immigrant neighborhoods of Bushwick, Brooklyn;
Jackson Heights, Queens; and Port Richmond, Staten Island; MRNY
gives voice to thousands of immigrants and their families through
community organizing, educates tomorrow's leaders and provides
services to support families. To find out more, please visit our
website:
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