Seven workers’ organizations have compiled a database on wage theft during the pandemic totaling $130.5 million owed to workers. The preliminary data from just seven groups dwarfs the nearly $3 million Gov. Kathy Hochul boasted of the state having recovered for workers last year. A preliminary version of this data has been shared with City Limits.
Under the NY HERO Act, workers can request the creation of a workplace safety committee to assess the effectiveness of security protocols and raise health concerns, among other tasks. But so far, workers have little recourse when employers fail to comply. An amendment to the law awaiting the governor’s signature would create stricter penalties for noncompliance.
“As Amazon gets richer, workers are waiting for protections they needed yesterday, and the state has an important role to play. Gov. Hochul can demonstrate her leadership and prove that she will fight for working people. The first step is signing the Warehouse Worker Protection Act.”
‘Since the start of the pandemic, many hours were cut, and hundreds of women who already were burdened with wages below the $15 minimum wage got the virus and were not paid sick days,’ Mahoma López, an organizer with the Laundry Workers Center told El Diario.
Organizers within the nail salon industry continue to fight for better working conditions, even four years after the passage of state regulations intended to protect employees.
With a Democratic-controlled State Senate and Assembly, many advocates are hopeful that this will be the year the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act finally passes.
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