The Miami-Dade County Commission will vote Friday to officially implement its Wage Theft Program, which helps low-paid workers recover earnings when they've been stiffed by unscrupulous employers.
The first of its kind in the state, the innovative program is being watched all over the country. Too bad today's action is a hollow exercise: No funds have been designated to keep it going.
Wage theft is a critical problem for low-income workers. Day laborers, hospitality, restaurant and retail workers recount horror stories of working weeks -- or even months -- without pay. With the economy in such bad shape, they fear quitting.
Until this year, they have had nowhere to turn. The County Commission made wage theft illegal, and in February passed an ordinance that gave exploited workers an advocate to negotiate on their behalf: the county's Small…
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/10/1816927/protecting-the-poorest.html#ixzz0z8XgCnU2
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