" When Your Boss Steals Your Wages: The Invisible Epidemic That’s Sweeping America"

[KoKo]

by Lynn Stuart Parramore

Imagine you’ve just landed a job with a big-time retailer. Your task is to load and unload boxes from trucks and containers. It’s back-breaking work. You toil 12 to 16 hours a day, often without a lunch break. Sweat drenches your clothes in the 90-degree heat, but you keep going: your kids need their dinner.

One day, your supervisor tells you that instead of being paid an hourly wage, you will now get paid for the number of containers you load or unload. This will be great for you, your supervisor says: More money! But you open your next paycheck to find it shrunken to the point that you are no longer even making minimum wage. You complain to your supervisor, who promptly sends you home without pay for the day. If you pipe up again, you’ll be looking for another job.

snip

The laws protecting workers are grossly inadequate, and wage thieves go unpunished. For giant companies like Walmart, Citigroup and UPS, getting fined is just the cost of doing business. You could even say that they're incentivized to cheat because punishment is so unlikely, and when it happens, so light. The protections we used to take for granted, like the right to receive at least the minimum wage, the right to workers’ compensation when hurt on the job, and the right to advocate for better working conditions, are nothing more than a quaint memory for many Americans. Activist Kim Bobo, author of Wage Theft in America,calls it a "national crime wave."

The sheer scope of the problem is jaw-dropping, sweeping across key industries and inflicting massive damage on individuals and society as a whole. In 2009, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) released a ground-breaking study, “Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers,” which found that in America, an honest day’s work is frequently rewarded with theft and abuse. A survey of over 4,000 workers in Chicago, L.A. and New York found that minimum and overtime violations were rife, and any attempt to complain or organize was swiftly met with punishment.

snip

Who gets cheated? Women, minorities, immigrants, and workers at the bottom of the wage scale are hardest hit, but wage theft is thriving across the employment spectrum. People hired for jobs like yard work and domestic services in which the employer pays cash are denied social insurance like Social Security, and often what’s paid doesn’t add up to minimum wage. Some employees are paid for piece work, like the number of shirts produced in a garment factory, and get cheated when the tally falls below minimum wage (that’s one of the things that’s alleged to have happened to Carrillo). Another common form of theft is the “last paycheck” scam in which a worker is either fired or quits and finds that her final wages are withheld.



http://www.alternet.org/labor/when-your-boss-steals-your-wages-invisible-epidemic-thats-sweeping-america?paging=off

[upaloopa]

1. I was doing high level work but then I was

reduced to a lower paying position. Yet I still do the higher skilled work. So I do the same job as before but for $20,000 a year less.
If I complain I am threatened with dismissal. The management is a club who all support each other. I have absolutely no power.

[winter is coming]

2. Every now and then, I hear someone say, "We'll fix that when we win in 2014".

How are we supposed to make it until then? Seriously, if you've got no job or a crappy job, what exactly are you supposed to do for the next two years? How close do we have to come to open revolt before Congress pulls its head out?

[sorefeet]

3. And when your vote fails in 2014

They say WAIT until 2016. I'm fucking tired of waiting while the fat cat robs me and gets rich.

[SheilaT]

4. There are possible recourses.

First off, see what you can do about unionizing, although under the most optimistic scenario that's a long term solution.

Contact the NLRB, the National Labor Relations Board. See if this new way of paying is legal. Probably not, if you're not at least getting the federal minimum.

There's also your state attorney general, or some other agency that will deal with this. If workers just meekly go along, it will get worse and worse.

Our grandparents literally fought and died to get unions. We may need to do the same again.

[Sherman A1]

7. +1000

Well Said!

[Drahthaardogs]

9. What is sad is that even here there are anti labor posts.

I have seen more than one DU'er state "I have no use for unions..."

Kind of makes me wonder what being a democrat means anymore.

[Honeycombe8]

10. Unions shouldn't belong to particular party, though. My Republican brother was union.

He is still far right...but was union almost his entire working life. Go figure. I guess it's a case of, "I have MINE. Who cares about yours."

[Bake]

12. And yet the Rethugs are vehemently anti-union.

I assume your brother knew that ...

A union member Republican makes about as much sense as a Log Cabin Republican.

Bake

[Honeycombe8]

13. I know. It never made sense to me. Republicans are pretty self-involved and

not deep thinkers. I never had the nerve to broach the subject of unions with him....I rarely see him and didn't want an argument.

[We People]

31. "Republicans are pretty self-involved and not deep thinkers."

Huge understatement but also absolutely true.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

23. And that is another dark nasty.

The bosses get even a sniff that someone is trying to get a union started, people are given pinks.

Thanks to the "no reason needed" clause on many apps one signs, they take you and any hope of a union out in one stroke!

The new laws are messing with the common worker, not helping.

[defacto7]

26. Great advice SheilaT!

n/t

[surrealAmerican]

5. k & r

This may not be a glamorous issue, but it's very important to a large number of people. Ultimately, if this happens habitually (and it does), it's damaging to to the nation as a whole and slows the economy for everyone, not just those who are directly cheated. We have the laws, we just need to enforce them.

[bvar22]

6. All by design, my pretties,

All by design.

Brought to you by the "Free Trade" and "Free Market" scams of the Republicans working with "Centrist" Democrats.

Sorry, Virginia,
but there is no Giant Invisible Hand.
The RICH made that shit up.
Ross was right.

[font size=3]The American Worker CAN WILL compete with 3rd World Slave Workers for their jobs![/font]

Whoever sold THAT shit to America was smooooooth.
What baffles me is that it is STILL being sold here,
and people are STILL buying it.
Oh Well, there IS a reason why Casinos don't go broke.

[Honeycombe8]

11. What Perot said made sense. I voted for him. And what he said has come true.

There was a big sucking sound as our businesses went to other countries where labor cost a fraction of U.S. workers, they didn't have to pay for health care, no environmental rules, no retirement. It was so successful for the businesses that workers in Mexico flooded into the U.S. (those new businesses in Mexico didn't help the workers there), while U.S. workers lost jobs at the same time.

[bvar22]

14. He was also correct when he predicted that those manufacturing jobs would return to the USA...

...when Wages and Benefits for the US Worker dropped to the level of that paid in the 3rd World.

If you noticed, Unemployment is DECREASING,
BUT
Corporate Profits Hit Record High While Worker Wages Hit Record Low
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/12/03/1270541/corporate-profits-wages-record/?mobile=nc

It WAS and IS a huge SCAM,
and the next round of "Free Trade" is even worse.

[Honeycombe8]

15. Hmmm. I didn't realize he'd predicted that. Interesting...and it just gets me boilin' mad. nt

[KoKo]

20. I thought he was crazy at the time...but, I did like him saying "get under the hood..

and take it apart and fix it).. I think I screwed up what he said...but, that sticks in my mind. I should have Googled it... but, whatever.

I thought he made good points ...but, I voted for Clintons...(sadly...because I felt their DLC founding would be a new way forward for Dem party...after Poppy and Reagan before).

I was a desperate Dem thinking the DLC New Way...was the "Hope and Change"for the party who seemed to keep losing.

Little did I know...how the DLC would Morph...and become the very thing that I would never have wanted to support ...as it turned out to be.

But, that's done....but yes...there was much that was appealing about Ross Perot...although there were many questions. He did manage to get much correct...and so did Mario Cuomo...about jobs going to Japan (at that time it was Japan we were faced with) where he spoke out that Americans shouldn't and couldn't be expected to retrain for jobs that weren't going to be there.) Mario had better Dem Rhetoric than his Son Andrew who is Gov of NY ..now. But, who knows. Maybe the father was duplicitous...and just a good rhetorical speaker or something.

Ahhh...so long with my beloved Dems...and how they seem to not be what we expect...

But...they DO SOUND GOOD! Not EVIL with FIRE AND BRIMSTONE coming out of mouths and ears like Repugs these days seem to all do whenever and wherever they get a change.

[Go Vols]

18. +1

[octothorpe]

8. This isn't something I've personally had to deal with...

but I was working IT support at large warehouse/electronics refurbishment company and I was shocked the way they screwed over many of the employees on the floor. They were always talking about being shorted their hours and what not. The management treated the "wage grades" like complete shit in general. Occasionally some asshole mid-level manager would try his shit with us, but we'd just tell him to screw off because they had no power over us. But the poor people on the floor had to put up with their crap.

The punch in clocks would commonly miss peoples' punches for no apparent reason and it would take them forever to get their money... I always suspected it had less to do with the clocks missing the punches and more to do with the managers logging into their management software to remove/editing them. Unfortunately I had limited access to that system (even though I was technically supposed to be supporting it), so I could never dig into it too much.

[Skeeter Barnes]

16. I used to work for a company that stole from us every day.

When we finished all the assembly line work for the night, there was routine cleanup and straightening that needed to be done. Parts that were taken from the shelves needed to be restocked, trash picked up, break room and restrooms needed cleaning. All this takes time to do.

No matter how long it took, the plant manager would come in every morning and cut people's clock out time back to fifteen minutes after production stopped. It wasn't uncommon to lose 15-30 minutes of pay every day, depending on how long cleanup took.

I brought this to the attention of the temp agency that contracted with them and they said "that's his policy". They were in on it and didn't mind admitting it!

On top of that, we were expected to set up our work stations prior to our start times because the line started immediately. If you didn't set everything up for free beforehand, you would be behind. That's another 10-15 minutes of pay we were having stolen from us there, too. We were probably losing anywhere from 2.5 to 5 hours of pay every week, which should have been paid at the overtime rate.

We were only making 10.50 per hour for non stop rush work and they still felt the need to steal from us. I needed the job so I didn't bring it up again but it still burns me up to this day.

The company was Martinrea Automotive. Their pathetic motto: "Our Strength Is In Our People". Scumbags!

[winter is coming]

32. Well, it's not like their motto could have been, "Our Strength is in Our Ethics". n/t

[Skeeter Barnes]

36. "Our Strength Is In Our Free Labor"

[laundry_queen]

33. That's like when I worked retail and in the restaurant business

Always expected to come in 20min early and only allowed to leave when everything was cleaned up and your cash balanced. There were sometimes when my shift was 10-4, but I was there from 9:40-4:20. Still only got paid for 10-4.

At one place I worked, it got so bad I figured out I was working an extra hour and a quarter a day for free. So I started to keep track. They were a pretty unethical company and I could sense they didn't like it when I finished my work so fast that I 'looked bored' (excuse me for being a good worker), so I made sure every minute I worked that I didn't get paid was documented. Sure enough, even though when they hired me they told me it was a year round position, they decided to change it to a seasonal position when the end of the season came around...and they laid me off. I showed them my documentation and told them I would go to the labour board (here in my province - not the US) and launch a complaint about the extra hours I worked without pay. I think it added up to 250 extra hours over 10 -11 months. I had everything, dates, times I arrived at work, times I started working, times my shifts started, when I left for lunch, when I came back from lunch, if I took a coffee break, time my shift was over, time I was done counting and balancing cash, when I was done cleaning up, and when I finally left the store. I told them it was illegal to make me work those extra hours without paying me.

They paid me. I bet they were pissed about it though - it was a family owned business and the family used the business as their personal piggy bank, and treated employees like shit (and paid women far less than the men) but I was just happy I got my money. I was young and naïve though, because now I would've launched a complaint anyway.

It's equally bad for salaried employees in some cases. My ex made a really good salary - some people would say it was a great job. And in the slow season, it was a decent salary. But in the busy season, we worked out how many hours he worked over the course of a few months and found he was making under minimum wage - he was putting in so many hours that his salary was less than minimum wage. But it was expected within the company during the busy season and you didn't have a choice.

[Skeeter Barnes]

35. It's hard to resist when everyone else does it willingly.

I tried talking to some of the guys. "Why are we working for free?"

They looked at me like I was crazy.

Even at my current job, I've been threatened with disciplinary action, even discharge, for refusing to work for free. The Union backs me up on it but still some of the guys do it anyway.

I don't understand it. They devalue our labor and they are fucked if they get hurt working off the clock.

I'm glad to hear you forced those cheapskates to pay you!

[bluedigger]

17. One of my first jobs was doing piece work in a shoe factory in Maine.

I glued high heels onto ladies shoes. (Sorry about all the broken ankles, ladies. )

We were guaranteed minimum wage and didn't get screwed too bad, but when the foreman told me he thought I had potential, and wouldn't I rather stay on rather than go back to college after the summer, I declined.

There were several shoe factories in the area back then. Good working class jobs. All gone overseas now.

[KoKo]

21. LL Bean used to pride itself in Boots and Shoes...Made in America....

I don't know if you've worn the Chinese and India Shoes that are all out there today...

AYYYYY......the difference in quality of materials and fit ...and lack of quality...most of all.

Good thing you didn't take them up on their offer..... It was all to be shipped off ...

[bluedigger]

24. I held out and only bought American work boots for a long time.

It's become practically impossible to find any made in the US anymore. The Chinese boots are garbage.

[Skeeter Barnes]

25. Carolina Boots model 1309 are Union made in the US

Union made in the U.S.A. by U.F.C.W. Local 1776, Martinsburg, PA

http://unionmadeshoes.com/6inchcarolina07.html

I've been wearing them for almost two years now. Very durable and reasonably comfortable for a heavy duty steel toe work boot.

Worth the money.

[bluedigger]

28. Yeah, I've worn (and sold) Carolina's.

I don't do the steel toe thing if I can help it - I do have a pair of steel toe Chippewa's in the closet, though, and a pair of insulated Carolina's. Red Wing's are good, too. You still have to check the labels on the tongue - you can't go by the brand anymore. I don't think any of those brands are available where I am now without a 100 mile drive, or more.

[KentuckyWoman]

19. It isn't really invisible. In fact, I'd say it's easy to see.

When 40% of American kids miss one meal or more a week because there's no food in the house and 20% of American kids never know where their next meal is coming from I'd say that's painfully obvious.

[leftstreet]

22. DURec

[defacto7]

27. This is an education people.

I honestly had no idea this kind of thing was so rampant. Thanks for filling me in with your experiences.

[gopiscrap]

29. Sounds to me like we need to have a revolution and make

Capitalism and it's supporters pay one way or another..either at the ballot box or?

[Lady Freedom Returns]

30. Or what?

?

[gopiscrap]

34. take to the streets

stop the regular order of things, afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted!!!

[xchrom]

37. Du rec. Nt

[Sirveri]

38. ALL workers are robbed by their employers.

Workers are NEVER paid the value of the labor they produce. Otherwise there would be no profit. The issue is the degree of scale, I think we can all agree it's currently scaled much to far to the employer.

[KoKo]

39. There are some pro-worker employers...but not so many as their used to be....

way back...in the 60's thru the 80's.

It's all changed.