A landmark decision has been handed down in El Paso, where a jury convicted the owner of Sun City Roofing on charges of wage theft.  The conviction is the first of its kind in Texas under a 2011 law passed by State Senator Jose Rodriguez.  The law, Senate Bill 1024, revised the penal code [&hellip…;

  The North Carolina State Senate has passed a version of a House bill that would clamp down on employee misclassification.  The move sets up a showdown that is likely to result in compromise between the two bills.  Among the major sticking points is an exception for newspapers that would allow them to continue to [&hellip…;

  At its last meeting, the Long Beach city council passed two measures aimed at helping the city’s workers. One creates a service, Long Beach First, to provide local workers to contractors and the other authorizes plans to spend $65,000 on a study of the possible effects of mandating a higher minimum wage.  The two-year [&hellip…;

  Currently before the Wisconsin Senate Committee on Labor and Government Reform is a bill, SB 5, that would increase penalties for employers who illegally withhold wages from their workers.  Yes, the recently notorious anti-worker legislature of Wisconsin is considering a wage theft measure. Unfortunately, the likely players are taking…

  Prior to the San Diego Chargers season opener, California Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez called on the team to begin paying its cheerleaders at least the minimum wage for the upcoming season.  Gonzalez, a long-time friend of labor and building trades union supporter, previously wrote a bill requiring professional sports teams to pay…

  Responding to an op-ed by former Associated Builders and Contractors officer George Hawkins that cast shadows on a Smart Cities Prevail wage study, economist Kevin Duncan dismantled the anti-union lobby’s talking points on the San Diego Source. After explaining the process by which he conducts his peer reviewed studies, Duncan…

  Across the country, legislative and task force initiatives to combat wage theft are not providing enough power to those charged with enforcing standards, putting unscrupulous employers in the position of cat while workers are the mice. The legal system is the block of cheese. While cracking down on wage theft has gained momentum in [&hellip…;

  An interesting new Living Wage Map, developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Amy Glasmeier, looks into the gap between the minimum wage and the amount of money needed (on both a county-by-county and city-by-city basis) to meet minimum standards of living.  The calculator looks at 12 household types and uses typical…

  A Rhode Island construction company will pay more than $730,000 in back wages and penalties after failing to pay the prevailing wage and misclassifying employees as independent contractors during work on the University of Rhode Island’s new wellness center. The settlement was the first significant action that Governor Gina M. Raimondo’s…

  In Vermont, a scathing new report from State Auditor Doug Hoffer shows that state agencies are not doing enough to fight employee misclassification despite legislation and task forces aimed at combatting the problem.  The report reveals that state laws are not being properly enforced, subcontractors are not being vetted to ensure they have…

  By a 24-13 tally the California State Senate voted in favor of Assembly Bill 219, which closes loopholes that previously exempted some drivers of ready-mixed concrete from receiving the prevailing wage on public works projects.  The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Tom Daly (D-Anaheim) and was sponsored by the State Building Trades,…

  In Michigan, the well-funded wage opposition group Protecting Michigan Taxpayers is reporting that it is nearing the 252,523 signatures it needs to place a repeal of the prevailing wage on the ballot.  Using this method, Michigan Republicans can bypass Gov. Rick Snyder who opposes repeal and promised to veto the toxic middle class attack….