We have just learned that one of our worker friends received a payment from an employer who had failed to pay him. The worker is a very young man–just 16 years of age–who came to this country to try to support his mother. He was working in a restaurant. When he came to the CoFiA wage theft committee he said he was owed a fairly substantial amount of money. When our committee confronted the employer, a restaurant owner, she not only admitted she owed him that amount–she said she owed more! And promptly went on to pay him. A true cause for celebration.
Other people have not been so lucky. Four workers are owed large amounts of money. The employer had first paid them with bad checks, which he refused to make good on. They and the committee met with the employer several times, and he agreed to pay them on an agreed schedule. He did not pay them, but another person in the same business made the first payment. When no other payment was forthcoming, members of the committee tracked the second person down and advised him that additional money was still owed. Although he denied it was his responsibility, he did promptly make the second payment. The third payment is still outstanding. Committee members have made many calls to the original owner, have sent him certified letters, and have even gone to his house attempting to collect this money. As of now the issue is unresolved.
Several other cases are pending.