Progressives often talk about the need to raise the minimum wage and update America’s worst-among-first-world-nations labor laws. But a new report on working conditions in New York City reminds us that Step One is to simply enforce the laws we already have.
According to Working Without Laws, released today by the National Employment Law Project, the Big Apple’s low-wage workers are nickel-and-dimed to the tune of an average $3,016 a year in minimum wage and overtime violations — amounting to some 15% of their annual salaries.
Other jaw-dropping statistics from NELP’s survey of low-wage workers:
- 21% are paid less than minimum wage.
- 77% had worked unpaid overtime in the previous week at an average of 13(!) unpaid hours each
- 42% of workers who tried to report their violations or form a union to fight back faced illegal retaliation.
You can read the full report blow by blow below. On the other hand, we hear the Wall Street bonuses are quite nice this time of year.
