Unions are the first line of defense against wage theft

Unions are the first line of defense against wage theft

Workers and labor rights activists with Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL) march through downtown Minneapolis to draw attention to wage theft in construction and call on developers to agree to independent monitoring on Aug. 17, 2022. Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer.The recent double felony conviction of Minnesota painting contractor Fred Newell should send a clear message: Wage theft is a crime, and when workers come together…

Addressing wage theft issues in the construction industry

Matt Berry and Nick Lauren In Oregon, unpaid workers can sue their employers directly or file administrative complaints with the U.S. Department of Labor or its state counterpart, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). Workers often file administrative complaints with BOLI because Oregon law generally has more protections than federal law, and BOLI can pay wage claims out of Oregon’s Wage Security Fund. Yet BOLI has only about 10 labo…