Austin Construction Workers Rally Against Wage Theft

On a single day in 50 cities across the nation, laborers stood together to bring awareness to wage theft, which has affected one in every five Austin construction workers, according to a 2009 University of Texas study.

The Workers Defense Project, along with State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, and county attorney David Escamilla, gathered Nov. 17 at the County Commissioners Court to participate in the national day of action by promoting the Texas Wage Theft Act of 2011, authored by Rodriguez and passed in the most recent legislative session.

The Austin Police Department, the county attorney’s office and the district attorney’s office began investigating cases of wage theft in 2003, resulting in thousands of dollars recovered from employers who had not paid their laborers.

Emily Timm, policy analyst with the Workers Defense Project, said loopholes within the 2003 policy were exploited by employers who would make small partial payments to remove their financial obligation to their laborers. The new law closes the gaps, allowing for more cohesive enforcement by APD, the county attorney and district attorney in prosecuting cases where laborers were either partially paid or not paid at all.

Wage theft is a systemic problem here in Austin and across the nation. In certain industries it is the way business is done.  If you believe you have been the victim of wage theft, contact Austin overtime lawyer Christopher McKinney.