MWC-Casa has helped workers recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages, mostly in the construction industry.  The work begins with simple efforts to let the employer know that they need to pay up.  It is not uncommon that the threat to involve state and federal authorities is enough to get them to step up.  If not, we in do involve state agencies.  This report reflects only those that make it to the agency level - the proverbial tip of the iceberg of wage theft.  It makes clear what a huge problem wage theft has become.   Report from the Economic Policy Institute: Two billion dollars in stolen wages were recovered for workers in 2015 and 2016—and that’s just a drop in the bucket

This is an update to the case of José Flores (Injured Worker Detained by ICE in Retaliation).  At 11:30am on May 22, José Flores was released to his family for deferred action due to pressure from Metrowest Worker Center, MassCOSH, and other members of the Immigrant Worker Center Collaborative and legal allies. While this is a victory, the need for financial support has increased, in order to be able to assist the entire family with legal counsel. We are so grateful for the more than $7,500 already raised. Our current goal is to raise another $12,500 for a total of $20,000.  Please consider making a donation here.

Last week, the New England Regional Council of Carpenters released a statement against this kind of retaliation, saying "The New England Regional Council of Carpenters represents all carpenters regardless of their status.  If someone works they deserve to be paid. If they are injured on the job they are entitled to workers compensation coverage. End of story. A worker’s immigration status should not play any role in whether these right apply. Immigration officials going after any worker involved in a workplace dispute has a chilling effect on others exerting their rights under the law."

We are organizing with a broad-based coalition of allies to speak up against this situation. We know that, beyond the workplace, the threat of ICE tends to drastically reduce the community’s willingness to report any kind of serious situation to authorities, from domestic violence to medical emergencies. This makes our communities far less safe, and provides protection for those who prey on the vulnerabilities of others. We urge you to join us in standing up for the safety of our communities.

The lead story on WBUR's website today details the case 38-year old Jose Flores and his family. After being severely injured on a job site, where the employer didn't have worker's compensation insurance, the employer setup a meeting with the worker and ICE was waiting for the worker when he exited the meeting. The worker, still recovering from his injuries, is in detention awaiting deportation.

Listen to, or read, the WBUR's coverage here.

Metrowest Worker Center assisting the worker and his family. Please consider a donation to our crowd funding campaign and help us spread the word:

UPDATE 5/22/2017: José Flores was released to his family for deferred action due to pressure from Metrowest Worker Center, MassCOSH, and other members of the Immigrant Worker Center Collaborative and legal allies. Details and next steps here.

"A wage theft bill is back before the Massachusetts Legislature this session, looking to crack down on [wage theft] cases. It would give the state attorney general greater authority to hold companies accountable by providing the ability to sue lead contractors for civil damages for wage theft violations committed by their subcontractors. It would also give the attorney general the authority to shut down work sites until such violations are corrected."

Read the full article on Telegram.com.

"Boston-area legal advocates warn that the Trump administration’s new crackdown on illegal immigration will have the additional consequence of giving more power to employers who underpay undocumented workers and subject them to unsafe conditions."

Read the full article on the Boston Globe website.

"Luis Mayancela was 15 years old when he fell from the roof of a house in Portland, Maine, where he was helping fasten shingles. He tumbled two stories, severely breaking his leg.

"His employer did not call an ambulance. Instead, a co-worker drove the Brockton High School freshman 75 miles in an old work van, across state lines, to a hospital in Massachusetts. As they crawled through rush-hour traffic, Mayancela had no idea his boss would try to dodge responsibility for the accident."

Find out what happened next to Mayancela and more about how his situation is far from an isolated case in Massachusetts. Diego Low, director of the Metrowest Worker Center, is quoted in the article.

Read the full article on the Boston Globe website.

An article in the Providence Journal about the work we're doing with Fuerza Laboral regarding wage theft.