Celebrating Wage Theft Wins
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Faith WORKS Newsletter of Interfaith Worker Justice Fall 2012 Report Exposes Celebrating Wage Theft Wins Dirt in Car Wash orkers, worker advo- limit wage deductions an employer phis workers. If passed the ordinance cates and community can make and it would also require will make it easier for wage theft vic- Industry groups are making employers to pay all employees by tims to reclaim lost or stolen wages. headway in the often the next regular payday following For more information and updates on IWJ and the affiliated worker center Wslow but steady uphill battle against termination or departure. the Memphis ordinance visit network congratulate ARISE Chicago wage theft. This year, affiliates helped The Northwest Arkansas Worker www.workersinterfaithnetwork.org. for the release of the first ever compre- pass at least three new anti-wage Justice Center is leading the cam- hensive study of working conditions in theft ordinances, and build up sev- paign against wage theft in Arkansas, GRAND RAPIDS Chicago’s car wash industry. eral other campaigns in communities and helped craft the language for The Grand Rapids City Commission The report, Clean Cars, Dirty Work: across the country. statewide wage theft prevention law. recently passed a wage theft propos- Worker Rights Violations in Chicago al put forward by workers and faith Car Washes, reveals how employers BROWARD COUNTY HOUSTON and community leaders led by IWJ across the industry violate minimum Taking its cue from neighboring The Down With Wage Theft Cam- ally, the Micah Center. The new reg- wage and overtime laws. The report Miami-Dade, Broward County paign, led by IWJ affiliate, Fe y ulations tie anti-wage theft measures also exposes an industry fraught with recently passed the Wage Recovery Justicia Worker Center, continues to to city contracts and set up standards health and safety violations. Ordinance, which creates a resource gain momentum and support from to make sure city contractors do not ARISE Chicago tied the report’s for thousands of wage theft victims groups around the city. The cam- steal wages. With the regulations in release to the launch of a large-scale who previously had nowhere to turn. paign, launched in March this year, place, businesses engaging in wage campaign to organize car wash work- Broward is the second county in is pushing the passage of a Wage theft will be disqualified from city ers across the city with the United Florida to implement a wage recov- Theft Ordinance that provides for contracts, and contractors found to Steel Workers. To download the report ery program despite strong opposi- an administrative hearing process of commit wage theft will not receive and for more information about the tion from business groups. Workers wage theft cases through Houston’s payment until workers are properly campaign visit www.arisechicago.org. and worker advocates led by the Office of Business Opportunities. It compensated. Find more information Florida Wage Theft Task Force, which would also ban companies found at www.themicahcenter.org. includes IWJ affiliate, South Florida guilty of wage theft from securing Interfaith Worker Justice, were instru- city contracts, business licenses and Other cities, states and municipali- mental in getting the Broward Coun- permits needed to continue operating ties considering similar wage theft ty ordinance passed. in the city. For more information visit campaigns are: Palm Beach County, www.downwithwagetheft.org. Fla., Denver, Iowa, New Jersey, ARKANSAS Phoenix, Portland, Maine, and San Members of the Arkansas legislature MEMPHIS Diego. Visit www.iwj.org for updates are expected to introduce a state- The Workers Interfaith Network is on local and national wage theft wide wage theft prevention bill in leading efforts to get a wage theft campaigns. the spring. If passed, the law would ordinance in place to protect Mem- ARISE Chicago released the compre- hensive report on Chicago’s car wash A Growing Network industry to a full house of workers, worker advocates and allies. he IWJ Worker Center Network wel- Trained & Inspired comes two new centers in Dallas T rganizers from around the country gathered in Chicago in and Nashville. October for IWJ’s Organizing for Worker Justice training. The The new Dallas office is the first O weeklong program was designed to help develop participants’ /interfaithworkerjustice satellite office of the Workers Defense organizing skills and provide practical communication, fundraising Project (WDP). WDP has been serv- and administrative tools. It also provided a venue for organizers ing low wage workers in Austin for 10 to exchange @iwjnational years, and has recovered nearly $1 ideas and million in unpaid wages. WDP plans share best to work with construction workers in /iwjnational practices. Dallas. For more Since its inception in 2009, newly- information affiliated Workers Dignity Project about IWJ Interfaith (WDP) in Nashville has racked up an training impressive record of victories, includ- programs, ing winning more than $60,000 in back visit wages and compensation for low wage www.iwj.org. workers. Worker Justice The Network continues to receive 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., 4th Fl. requests for assistance in building new Chicago, IL 60660 worker centers across the country. (773) 728-8400 • www.iwj.org IWJ Board Poverty Wages Hurt; Time to Raise the Wage President: The Rev. Darren Cushman Wood Vice-President: Ms. Ros Pelles By the Rev. Michael Livingston in a system that places all power in The system is unethical by design. Finance Chair: Mr. John Howard the hands of the employer. CEO’s of Interfaith Worker Justice and Fundraising Chair: Mr. Jules Bernstein “What does the Lord require of us the companies employing the most allies around the country are advo- Public Policy Chair: Dr. Edith Rasell but to do justice and to love mercy low wage workers in the nation cating for a raise in the federal mini- Board Development Chair: Ms. Kathy Saile and to walk humbly with our God.” make an average of 9.4 million dol- mum wage. IWJ, through its affiliates, Dr. Charles Amjad-Ali (Micah 6:8) lars a year – that’s 450 times more supports statewide minimum wage Mr. Hussam Ayloush than a worker making ten dollars an campaigns in New York, Illinois, Ms. Arlene Holt Baker ith 12.1 million people hour. Maine, California, Missouri, Mas- Imam Naeem Baig unemployed and one in six Mr. Steven Birnbaum The federal poverty level is sachusetts, and Maryland. Although Americans living in pover- Rabbi Laurie Coskey W $22,000 for a family of four. Income much of the local work has slowed Mr. Tom Costanza ty, we should all agree that we need at twice that level is hardly enough down with the elections, IWJ is Mr. Phil Cubeta more good paying jobs that allow to sustain a family. Minimum wage committed to keeping the minimum The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel workers to support their families. at $7.25 an hour is 40 percent below wage issue on the national radar. Imam Taha Hassane Raising the minimum wage is the federal poverty level. In other Join the movement to raise the Mr. John Hill essential to our economic recovery. words, if you make the legislated minimum wage – in your state and The Rev. Daryl Ingram These days, far too many workers minimum wage, and even up to 40 in the nation. Visit www.iwj.org to The Rev. Troy Jackson have become expendable and under- percent above it – we guarantee you learn more. Rabbi Jill Jacobs valued, easily replaced and exploited The Rev. Chris Johnson will live in poverty. This is immoral. The Rev. Dr. Ken Brooker Langston Ms. Susan Leslie The Rev. Dr. Leonard Lovett I’ve Seen How Hyatt Hurts Dr. Joseph A. McCartin The Rev. Aaron McEmrys By Sung Yeon Choi-Morrow Mr. Todd O’Malley Sr. Mary Priniski, OP couple of months ago I spent time with some The Rev. Frank Raines III Hyatt employees on the job. I was already Ms. Elena Segura A familiar with the campaign after having helped The Rev. Jim Sessions organize a big day of rallies at various Hyatt hotels The Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry in downtown Chicago in 2011. I understood why the The Rev. Bill Somplatsky-Jarman campaign was so important to the worker movement The Rev. Bennie Whiten Jr. and our fight against corporate greed. But actually The Rev. David Wildman spending time with Hyatt employees made the hor- Special Advisors rors of their daily work lives even more real to me. Bishop Jesse DeWitt* During my short visit, I noticed that most of the The Rev. Jim Lawson housekeepers had bandages wrapped around swol- The Rev. Joseph Echols Lowery len wrists. It turns out many of them suffer from Rabbi Robert Marx* carpal tunnel syndrome; some have even undergone * Former Board President surgery. They told me it was from lifting the heavy mattresses. I also noticed some women wearing back Labor Advisory Board braces. You’d think they worked in warehouses moving People of faith gather outside a Hyatt hotel in Chicago in support of Tim Beaty, Teamsters hotel workers demanding better wages and treatment on the job. Tom Chabolla, SEIU heavy boxes – well, they might as well be with mat- Alan Freeman, IBEW tresses weighing anywhere from 80 to 100 lbs. our consumer power to leverage for Hyatt workers. Can James Gibbs, UMWA Hyatt housekeepers clean as many as 30 rooms per we all work together to ensure that our respective reli- The Rev. Clete Kiley, UNITE HERE day, almost double the number of rooms union-hotel gious organizations don’t support worker abuse at Hyatt Charles Lester, ATU workers have to clean. Esther Lopez, UFCW hotels? For more information about the campaign you We in the religious community have the capacity to can visit: www.hyatthurts.org If you want more informa- Donna McDaniel, LIUNA positively impact the lives of Hyatt workers.