New Labor advocates for workers and lobbies local governments to pass ordinances preventing wage theft. It’s taking its fight to the state government as well
Jose Cruz, a Dominican immigrant who moved to New Brunswick 12 years ago, filed a complaint with the state Department of Labor and won an $11,000 judgment against his employer.This story has also been posted as a photo essay on our Instagram account, which explains why it’s formatted differently. If you’re an Instagram user, be sure to follow us at @njspotlight.
Working without being paid for your labor isn’t just disheartening, it can be devastating — especially for those who are living paycheck to paycheck and need the money just to survive. The situation is even more disturbing during holidays, particularly Thanksgiving, a celebration of American bounty.
It’s a situation that a number of legal and undocumented immigrants find themselves in, shortchanged on their paychecks by unscrupulous bosses who think they can get away with the deception because newcomers to this country are less likely to complain or have access to legal help.
New Labor, a 15-year-old organization that advocates for immigrant workers in the state, is working to eliminate this problem. Along with other groups it has been organizing workers and taking their cause to local and state governments years. Their goal is to pass local ordinances designed to give workers extra leverage when dealing with employers who fail to pay wages.
Five towns — New Brunswick, Princeton, Highland Park, Newark, and Jersey City — have passed versions of the local ordinances, but workers say more needs to be done at the state level. Legislation introduced by Assemblywoman Annette Quijano would strengthen state penalties, but has not been heard in committee and is expected to be reintroduced after the new Assembly reconvenes in January.