Share
The thousands of people who attend the Minnesota State Fair will have the opportunity to learn about the pervasive problem of wage theft on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
On that day, members of the End Wage Theft Coalition will staff a kiosk at the Minnesota AFL-CIO’s Labor Pavilion, located at the corner of Cooper and Dan Patch Avenues. The coalition members include workers who have been victims of wage theft.
Working people have millions of dollars stolen from them every day. If it were done at gunpoint, the thefts would make headlines. But because the losses occur at work – and are not regarded as criminal – few people know what is happening to them.
An investigation by Workday Minnesota found wage theft in Minnesota is larger and more widespread than most people realize – and the problem is growing.
Wage theft takes many forms. Employers refuse to pay their employees for work performed, make unlawful paycheck deductions or coerce employees to work off the clock. Employers violate minimum wage, prevailing wage, and overtime protections or misclassify employees as independent contractors to avoid paying workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. Wage theft affects people in many industries including office workers, janitors, construction workers, service sector employees and online workers.
The End Wage Theft Coalition formed in the spring of 2016 and includes a variety of community, labor, government, education and worker center organizations throughout the state who are cooperating to focus public attention on this issue.