To view the video conference call, click HERE.
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined Policy Matters Ohio and Ohio workers for a news conference call to discuss his Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, new legislation to crack down on employers that unfairly withhold wages from their workers.
New analysis from Policy Matters Ohio finds that each year, employers steal from at least 213,000 Ohioans by paying them below the minimum wage, costing a worker who is on the job the full year an average of $2,900, or a quarter of their total wages they earned.
Brown’s new bill with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and his colleagues would put hard-earned wages back in workers’ pockets and crack down on employers who unfairly withhold wages from their employees.
“It’s simple: If you put in the work, you should get paid for it. Companies should not be able to cheat workers out of the wages they earned and get away with it,” said Brown. “Our bill will give workers the power to fight back and recover their lost paychecks, and it will mean real consequences for employers that steal the wages Ohioans work so hard for.”
Brown was joined on the call by two Ohio workers whose wages were stolen by their employers.
“So many people keep quiet about wage theft for fear of losing their jobs. It’s time we put a stop to this,” said Ernest Hatten of Cleveland.
“This is what I think: If we had a better system that really penalized contractors for wage theft, wage theft would stop. But because there's not a strong enough policy that really holds employers accountable, these employers just keep doing it - no one is stopping them from stealing from their workers. Workers need a system that gives them a voice on the job and that really protects them when they speak up and make a complaint about this type of abuse from employers.” said Gandhi Merida, a construction worker in Cincinnati.
Brown was also joined on the call by Michael Shields, who conducted the new research for Policy Matters Ohio.
“Ohioans believe that an honest day’s work deserves an honest day’s pay. Today across the state, some employers are stealing millions of dollars in wages from working people, hurting our families and communities,” said Shields. “Employers steal from workers because they can. Few employers ever face consequences. Wage theft is theft. It’s time those who commit it face real consequences.”
The Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act would help combat wage theft and improve wage recovery by:
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) have introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
A section-by-section summary of the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act can be found here.
A fact sheet on the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act can be found here.
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