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"Millions of workers in the U.S. suffer from wage theft – when they are not paid the wages they are legally owed. Wage theft also occurs whenever a worker is paid below the minimum wage; does not receive time and a half for overtime work; has to work 'off the clock'; is misclassified as an 'independent contractor' so that he receives a lump sum without overtime pay or benefits; or when a worker is not paid at all.” - Kim Bobo

Nationally, Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) has begun a Wage Theft Campaign. IWJ Executive Director Kim Bobo testified in the summer of 2008 at committee hearings in Washington on this issue. In November, her book was published: Wage Theft In America—Why Millions of Working Americans are Not Getting Paid and What We Can Do About It. For an informative review of the book published in Black Commentator.com, click here.

In New York State, Labor Commissioner Patricia Smith has significantly stepped up enforcement of wage and hour violations: for example, when employers have not paid workers for the total number of hours they have worked, or not paid for overtime. Enforcement of wage violations is especially important for minimum wage workers who earn $7.15 an hour ($14,872 a year before taxes) and depend upon every dollar to pay for food, clothing, shelter and transportation. Visit the site of the NY Department of Labor for information about New York Wage & Hour Watch, a new Neighborhood- Watch- type tool in the fight against labor law violations in New York State. Click here for a New York Times editorial calling the program "wise and overdue."

During the 2009 FAST, the LRC invited congregations to focus on the issue of “wage theft” in light of the seventh commandment.

Last Updated:03/30/2009
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