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Home My WebLink About8. Community Comment - CWJPRESENTATION TO FOLLOW: By: Mazahir Salih, Director CWJ KaiIle Simmons, Community Organizer CWJ Greg Hearns, Vice President CWJ Shel Stromquist, Chair of Finance Committee CWJ Item: 8. 1 1 1 =M ‘11 MO OM 0 112:11T CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org Wage Theft A Presentation by Mai2ahir 5 lLih with the Center for Worker Justice Center for Worker Justice Our Mission Statement: Our mission is to unite Low-wage workers across race, ethnicity, and immigration status_ We work each day to pursue social and economic justice through education, Leadership development, issue -basad organizing, direct services, and community aLliances What we do: - Wage Theft Immigration Affordable Housing - And Flora! 2 Victories Johnson County Community ID CWJ established Community ID Prot rarer to provide identification t people without it. Fight for Increase in Minimum Wage Johnson County raised their Minimum wage to until The State of Iowa rallec back logisLation. Know your Rights Trainings CW_I has held numerous workshops for meat packing workers to discuss safety rights, Legal tax deductions from paychecks, and rights in the workplace. English/second Language classes and tutoring for Low- income students. From MHome to Ycurs The Center established the From My Horne to Yours program to provide fins ncia.L support to Eastern Iowans who were struggLing during the 'II -i pandemic. The Center was able to support. over 700 families with a totaL f 500 T 000.00 in donations. From My Marne to Yours Letts Pass our Check to Families in Crisis! IFA and HACAP Applications _ We hold application assistance hours 4 days of the week where we assist numerous oral elle Residents to afford rent and utilities 11 IOWA FINANCE AUTHORITY Wage Theft The Center For Worker Justice has recovered more than $170,000 in unpaid wages 84% of the wage theft cases we assist on are from Iowa City What is Wage Theft? Different forms of wage theft; Misclassification Failure to pay overtime - Stealing tips or not paying the federal minimum wage for tipped workers Ignoring minimum wage laws altogether - Paying workers for only some hours worked Refusing paychecks 10 FT! 5}1T1 iii M" Ia lydYCf ariy am: Cha. " Idd 'Id UK dam _ i' — rte. • ha- '11•-ims 141.. ey �T H0W COMMON '.a.. I WAG "i' 1 FT2 • wry Lt>pr� i b , ▪ .1.40 b: z �I1-/zi de i rtli�utor rt Tai.rt: LS 7k'Itl lali�F= ig�z1.Qa f } ,y4▪ hiflFas%.wrAii7.rtrarig erg=irZIFMi.beas u. di+ltihh qit�nk, ctr fru- dr' Ecu: suit. be uFri Factors Contributing to Wage Theft - Decline in unions - Broken immigration system Lack of knowledge of rights Rise in temp work and misclassification - Agency understaffing & barriers in conpLaint process Midden from public view. lack of publicity 11 How docs CWJ deal with wage theft Steps We Take: Step One: Investigation - Gather information from worker; hours. history of employment at company, contact info, wage per hour or comr iss� on, total wages owed, and paystubs Step Two: CALI employer and try to f«c any misunderstandings, get wages in a soft approach Step Three: Official Letter from Cwt demanding wage delivered by delegation to place of employment - Delegation varied: elected officials,. W_I staff, employee, faith [leader, community allies Step Four: Involve Media Step Five: File a complaint wit h Iowa DOL Step Six: Direct Actions - Pretest, press corp ferencc, letters to editor New Bar in Dovi itO\Vf Iowa City What Happened - Hired previous cleaners (couple) at a rate of a5.00/hour - Only paid one employee iC.00/hour - Helped these two employees recover $423.32 each, 13 Sofia and Fransisco at Taco Loco What Happened - Were not paid overtime and were riot paid for four weeks of work. Heli a delegation and helped Sofia recover $11257.91 and $1482.13 for Fransisco. Rita Sandres at Short's Burgers and Shine What Happened ▪ Was not properly paid overtime for 13 years of employment. ▪ Held two delegation and one protest Ongoing negotiation to help Rita recover 13 years worth of correct overtime payments: H ori t f OrrQS, Construction What Happened - Henry Torres was subcontracted by a construction company to do roofing and siding. - Was not paid for jobs compLeted since November 2021. - HeLd a delegation and the owner is currently making payments towards Henry's owed wages of 125oo 16 Santos Lopez Barrera at Brenneman Builders What Happened? - Santos was misclassified as an independent contractor but was promised a wage of 27/hour - After they reduced his pay by $2/hour and refused insurance benefits, J heti a delegation - 'J helped Santos recover 1riog.00 17 Confidentiz 1 Agreements ▪ We heLped ,3 workers recover $600, $431.01, and S1,293.80 wages from a hotel in Iowa City - MultipLe restaurants in Iowa City - We heLped 10 workers recover wages from a factory in Iowa City. - We helped 4 workers from an Iowa City restaurant recover $20,000 collectively. 18 Our Proposai Union VS. Worker Center - Department of Labor only has a full time wage theft investigator for 99 counties. ▪ DOL refers peepile to CW,J With the increase of cases, it is necessary to hire someone full time The Carporrkigrs' Union Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa Wage Theft Proposal • Wage theft—the deepening problem with the pandemic • Impact on the community and the local economy ▪ CWJ track record—tried and true methods 21 Continued • Proposal—need sustained, multi-year amort - Build trust, expand outreach to low wage community - Ed u to the community on labor rights - Train volunteers and allies to assist with wage theft cases - Facilitate network of community organizations? small businesses, churches, legal aid attorneys and unions to support fair labor campaign - Seek resolution of wage theft cases that arise • Long term goals - -build a "fair labor" community that respects the fundamental rights of all workers - -Publicize fain' labor standards and build community support for a new fair labor climate Moving Forward Wage Theft Cases are RISING Because continuity and sustained effort are required to meaningfully address the problem of wage theft in our communities. CWJ has proposed a five-year initiative to address the problem. We are asking for $17,000 a year for G years. total of $%%,000_ With the help from the Iowa City community in conjunction with surrounding communities. we will be able to fully fund this necessary lor; rirarn. Five y firl r4Fi 11/410411flbb Wit. mot °mom _ _1 Climate tiY.r i [Gidda +4a3 J 44 :Nr bykligt 4M41 Ma' Malmo suer &140•14, 141pciaIX07142,. 1B1l0 1 7-44i 5+.'5.e'i154c42ir,5JM,1f6UOISWrlpus 3%ir reaw•luring9rtSibpelaroorarrirgtolheTbamnikr R A1:10.UO t1T'J090n0 1 T,B04.09 51 `.l*:{::+J 51 7.';,:r.! 315.44 L131 Tewiolar prion hsahlmwwu[a[ maV Seth rtmk merrier. Bainven SI1D0 5541We-theart 53,1BZ40 1,1V7J57 21T5.213 53.Z` 7.14 53.5!' 8' 3iI.135s71 55endMsdkareParnenlbyCM Tassl 551,717.44 __---- WAR ThaXaaily4;ast114draiisFWryiilrif*whor 23 WAGE TEFF IS A CRIME i , . . , . ., , , .- . ! • _ x - • • , r:.c.autsi --. k T. • .,.. P . - . 4 ... . u May Be a kildfri, a( Wage Thefl 11: . .:., ir. :: , - ? 1. -• • : ' f ' ' ..._ 0._ 10 41 . .1:.- ,. • ,.. . 83% ir M•• Iii,i•I'm AO Taw 'Es•ge ihili Calla NI fill INV I I: TS 1111}c rim hvrtIci n • , . i . • • , • ertil NW I 11 al 3 now hi em claw yvart, - _ ' AMMON • $243.2 railiti It" 4m:qv:NO alli. , ......e., ,... ._ _ Ifilir pip 0 CpuL ei i I -C 4 Miele'. •••,[1..., L•pr rip .....„.1. , OM n 1 0 z-ci 141 _ 0 viAGE I Ti.IEFT ., and hour COLLECT! i _- PROTECT! - In _ ENFORCE! • .......i.„ ._. -.me vac -wig guy NM• ." .1.9447.Ph IV. lin WTI. -•,1 ' 9 • . ,J1e, I• ....a,. 1 .,-, 1.7.0.1.h...t. •• . %•", - , • ••..1, - - : • - V 1 m Val .i i I. 3 ___ _ Yill pore howl" kummIr PP ...m...iri.hi.:..ipir 11, 0-v611mo march' iza einwiliordatiatef , ...... r.r..m...-14.. fan-, Thank you for listening! 1 We would be happy to take questions! 24 PRESENTATION CONCLUDED ar CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org