DC day laborers scored another big victory on October 2nd when they recovered over $10,000 in stolen wages for eight workers. Several members of the Day Laborers Association, had been doing work on a DC public school building over the summer, and were paid less than promised.

When they contacted DC Jobs with Justice and the DC Employment Justice Center, it was soon determined that this public project entitled the workers to higher, "prevailing wages" for their work. After reaching out to other workers from the project and talking with several building trades unions to confirm the proper rate, DC JwJ and the DC EJC went to the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization (OPEFM) to discuss this violation of DC's contracting laws.

The OPEFM helped force the contractors to pay back wages, including proper overtime rates. "This victory not only secures justice for the workers involved, but sends an important message to contractors who believe they can hire immigrant workers and pay them lower rates," says DC JWJ Chair Roger Newell.

At the accountability meeting with the Assistant Director of DOES in September, (where 10 JUFJ members attended in solidarity), this particular incident was raised as an example of lack of progress in improving protections for day laborers.  We are thrilled to see this important progress!

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