On April 13th, during a state-wide week of action, the Securing Wages Earned Against Theft (SWEAT) Coalition brought together workers affected by wage theft and supporters for a rally outside of Gov Cuomo’s NY office.
The participants explained that wage theft is running rampant in NYS, and that the protections SWEAT can offer are urgently needed. JoAnn Lum of NMASS remarked, “Wage theft is running rampant, and it affects all of us here. Some of us don’t get minimum wage, no overtime or no tip. Some of us are told, ‘It’s a pandemic.’
“This is all wage theft. It’s a crime. It’s the biggest crime in the country. It’s more than armed theft and robbery combined,” Lum added. Without the protections of the SWEAT bill, criminal bosses are often able to get away with stealing their workers’ wages. Even when workers win in court, they often cannot collect what they are owed.
Want to support the SWEAT Coalition? Call your representatives, including Governor Cuomo, today! Tell them why you and your loved ones want to see SWEAT become law.