November 19th, 2009: Campaign against Wage Theft National Day of Action
On November 19th, 2009, Agencies, organizations, and individuals joined together in taking action to fight Wage Theft. Some organized delegations to unethical employers, while others participated in demonstrations and other actions to raise awareness and support for those who have had wages stolen.
Current list of media coverage for Wage Theft National Day of Action
California, Los Angeles Times http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire...Colorado, Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_13819749
Colorado, Public News Service http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content...
Florida, Ft. Myers NBC 2 News http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=11534726
Florida, Miami CBS 4 News http://cbs4.com/local/Miami.Dade.wage.2.1321871.html
Illinois, Chicago, In These Times Magazine http://www.inthesetimes.com/working...
Louisiana, The Times-Picayune http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans...
Michigan, Detroit, Labor Notes http://labornotes.org/2009/12/tell-detroit-resta...
New York, New York WNYC http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/144716
New York, New York 1 http://ny1.com/1-all-boroughs-news-content/top_storie...
Ohio, Columbus Dispatch http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news....
Tennessee, Knoxville Sentinel http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/nov/...
Tennessee, Memphis Commercial Appeal http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009...
Texas, El Diario de El Paso http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.php?notaid=02a3....
Washington D.C., Dept. of Labor press release http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press...
Washington D.C., Todays Workplace blog http://www.todaysworkplace.org/2009/11/20...
Wisconsin, Madison Badger Herald http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/11/20...
Wisconsin, Wisconsin Raio Network http://www.wrn.com/2009/11/rallying-against...
National, Public News Service http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content...
List of known Day of Action activities
Washington, DC
Interfaith Worker Justice National Office http://www.iwj.organd allies ROC DC http://www.rocunited.org/ and DC Jobs with Justice http://www.dcjwj.org/
Press conference with members of congress, clergy, and workers speaking about Wage Theft
Ted Smukler (773)206-6776 cell
Press Release for IWJ National Day of Action DC press conference
Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas
Interfaith Worker Justice ArkansasWorking with student groups on campus to increase awareness of the issue of Wage Theft, and to encourage participation in actions to fight it.
Fernando Garcia / Ana Aguayo
California
Los Angeles
Pilipino Worker Center http://www.pwcsc.orgThe Pilipino Workers Center will be interviewed about wage theft on Thursday, November 19th at 4:30 pm on a show called Kababayan LA airing on Channel 18 in the Los Angeles area. This is one of the shows widely viewed by the Filipino American community in Southern California. The people being interviewed will include Lolita Lledo, director of the Pilipino Workers’ Center, Georgia Danan, the caregiver that was not paid by Mt. Sina Home Care Agency and Atty. Carmina Ocampo from the Asian Pacific American Legal Center who has been providing pro bono services to caregivers that are victims of wage theft.
Lolit Llito (213)250-4353
San Francisco
Young Workers United http://www.youngworkersunited.org/index.phpPress Conference with local allied organizations including Chinese Progressive Association, Young Workers United, La Raza Centro Legal, Filipino Community Center, and Pride at Work, with the NBC Workers Campaign, and local unions.
Dianne Enriquez (415)621-4155
Oakland
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy http://www.workingeastbay.org/Press event in front of city hall at 11am with various workers centers
Vanessa Coe(510)893-7106 x323
Colorado
Denver
Front Range Economic Strategy Center (FRESC)Planning to have workers speak at an event to be held in either the Worker Center or a Church or in front of a targeted employer’s place of business. They also hope to announce Ed Perlmutter’s co-sponsorship of the Wage Theft legislation.
Also they are coordinating efforts to secure a commitment of co-sponsorship from Representatives Diana DeGette (D ) and Ed Perlmutter (D). A meeting with Rep. Perlmutter is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17th.
Daniel Klawitter (303)477-6111
Florida
Miami
South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice http://www.sfiwj.orgOrganizing to win Wage Theft ordinance for Dade County. Press conference with AFL-CIO and other community partners as well as Presentation by Womens Catering Coop at UCC Luncheon.
Jeannette Smith (305)598-1404
Georgia
Athens
Northeast Georgia and Rural Worker Center for Economic Justice http://www.econjustice.org/index.html(On Nov 13th) Will have an EEOC speaker discussing wage theft and workers rights
Ray MacNair (706)549-1142
Illinois
Chicago
ARISE Chicago http://arisechicago.org/Press conference focused on four Polish workers each owed over $10,000 by a contractor who is also president of Chicago Polish Contractors Association. Announcement of lawsuit and other components of demonstration at location of one of contractors current work sites with religious leaders, and community groups
Anna Karewicz (773)769-6000 x106
Press Release for ARISE Day of Action
Louisiana
New Orleans
NOLA and Workers Center for Racial Justice http://www.nowcrj.org/Delegation of clergy, workers, and community allies going to the police chief to ask workers not be harassed when reporting incidents of Wage Theft. Also a protest with restaurant workers in front of restaurants in the French quarter that perpetrate Wage Theft. Lastly, clergy will go with a sign on letter to the city council in support of a local ordinance that stipulates stronger penalties for employers who steal wages.
Keron Blair (504)267-4685
Maine
Bangor
Food and Medicine Worker Center http://www.foodandmedicine.orgDiscussing Wage Theft around a showing of "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant". http://foodandmedicine.org/page37.html
Martin Chartrand (207)989-5860
Massachusetts
Boston
Interfaith Worker Justice of Massachusetts(on NOV 18th due to state legislative schedule) Faith leaders and clergy will attend and testify at Massachusetts State House hearing regarding bill ammending statute of limitation on Wage Theft
Anthony Zuba (617)840-5860
Michigan
Detroit
Detroit IWJ and Restaurant Opportunities Center Michigan http://www.rocunited.org/affiliates/michiganEducational Breakfast, partnership between ROC Michigan and clergy. Restaurant workers will be telling of their experiences with Wage Theft and organizers from ROC will explain how Wage Theft effects the larger community.There will be a representatives from a number of faith traditions and a few important community leaders present.
Joan Smith
Detroit Day of Action writeup: MS word document
Bolg entry and call to action for Detroit event
Minnesota
Minneapolis
Interfaith Center for Worker JusticeDelegation of workers to state representatives to discuss the national Wage Theft campaign
Veronica Mendez (612)332-0663
Nebraska
Omaha
Noel Anderson
New Jersey
New Brunswick
New Labor http://www.newlabor.netOn November 18th, there will be 15 house parties focused on immigration which will incorporate Wage Theft into discussions.
Marien Casillas Leon
New York
New York City
New York State Departnent of Labor http://www.labor.state.us/Commemorating National Wage Theft Day, State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith will be holding a press conference in the Park Slope neighborhood to detail the findings of the targeted investigation around wage theft at over two dozen cafes and restaurants in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. November 19th, 11am at the corner or 5th Ave. and 3rd St. in Brooklyn.
Contact Leo Rosales (518)457-5519
Media Advisory
Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York http://www.rocny.org
Jeff Mansfield (212)343-1771
Ithaca
Tompkins County Workers Center http://www.tclivingwage.org/(T.B.A.) A future event is in the works. Recently they had successful results from a county wide "sweep" for violators of wage laws
Pete Meyers (607)269-0409
Press release for Tompkins County Worker Center event
North Carolina
Western Region
Press release to local papers about National Day of Action and legislation. Also potential prayer vigilBless Burke
Ohio
Cincinnati
Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center http://cworkers.org/blog/Education and outreach about Wage Theft begining at 5am, 1pm, and 4pm, ending with a press conference at 5:30pm. Press conference to include workers telling of personal experiences, as well as organiztions voicing support, and tentative speakers from local and state government adressing wage theft policies.
Dan Moore (513)621-5991 danpmoore@cworkers.org
Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center flyer for National Day of Action events PDF
Columbus
Greater Columbus Jobs With Justice http://www.unionvoice.org/columbusjwj/home.htmlPress conference at 10am at the Senate Democratic Caucus
Cameron McNamee
Press Advisory for Ohio Senator Morano Wage Theft press conference
Video of Senator Morano Wage Theft press conference
Tennessee
Knoxville
East and Mid-Tennessee Jobs With Justice http://www.jwj.org/index.html and WIN in MemphisCoordinated around state hearings on Wage Theft and worker safety in Knoxville on Nov 5th, Nashville on Nov 6th, and in Memphis on Nov 7th.
Jason Schumer or Frances Ansley(901)634-3568
Memphis
Memphis Workers Center http://www.midsouthinterfaith.org/Call in day to Congressman Cohens office about Wage Theft, also on the same day an article on Wage Theft will be published in "The Commercial Appeal", a local paper
Rev. Rebekah Jordan (901) 332-3570
Texas
El Paso
Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project http://www.myspace.com/pdncrpDemonstration in front of District Attourneys office to encourage collaboration with community allies to help start enforcing state wage statutes, then shift action to front of local business violating employment law
Press Release for Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project Day of Action
Blog entry with video
Houston
Houston Interfaith Worker Justice Center http://www.hiwj.org/Formal release of local report on Wage Theft in the morning. Afterwards the "Justice Bus" and riders will be a mobile protest going to specific abusive employers to demonstrate and pressure them into resolving currently issues with employees. Enroute, workers will tell of experiences, and what efforts have been made to remedy the situation.
Austin
Workers' Defense Project http://www.workersdefense.org/Workers’ Defense Project will be sending out a press release around Wage Theft and highlighting a current case that would benefit from proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Emily Timm (512) 391-2305
Wisconsin
Madison
Madison Workers' Rights Center http://www.workerjustice.org/wrc.htmlPress conference and rally at Wisconsin State Capitol at noon, and a forum on campus at 6pm with the Student Labor Action Coalition and workers who have experienced wage theft
Patrick Hickey (608)255-0376
Madison Day of Action Flyer: MS word document