breaking one of the basic rules
Often seen by outsiders as a passive, unintentional crime, wage theft is anything but. It is all too common in the construction industry and violates one of the basic rules of business and commerce: fair compensation for fair production.
Wage theft occurs when employers willfully break employment laws and regulations to increase their own profit. Wage theft infractions, from not paying overtime, requiring off-the-clock work, and, sometimes, not paying workers at all happen every day to workers who do not enjoy the protection of union representation. It totals more than $50 billion nationwide that should be going into worker paychecks but instead stays in company owners’ pockets.
Businesses that engage in wage theft as well as paying their employees in cash “under the table” often violate other rules as well, like minimum wage requirements or safety rules. Too often, dishonest general contractors allow subcontractors they hire to break employment laws because it means more profits for themselves. This hurts not only the workers, but honest contractors who play by the rules.
Fighting wage theft and payroll fraud is one of the most important items in the political and legislative agenda of union carpenters.