Wage theft: the silent epidemic

To the editor,

This summer I met Kim Bobo, who gave me a copy of a book she authored: Wage Theft in America – Why Millions of Americans Are Not Getting Paid and What We Can Do About It. This opened my eyes to how wage theft is quietly going on all around us. As the Director of La Plata County Thrive! Living Wage Coalition, I must speak out on wage theft because if workers are paid a living wage only to have it stolen, what have we gained?

I’ve talked to local business managers and employees who see wage theft day in and day out: not receiving their tips, working after clocking out, not being paid for breaks, denied overtime pay, paying for their own gas on a work-mandated trip, being classified as an exempt worker or  independent contractor (so that worker benefits do not apply).  Recently a family member shared with me a concern that he might not be paid for work that he has completed if he retires before he is paid. 

 Oftentimes, wage theft involves much more serious offenses, like employers simply refusing to pay their employees altogether. The Colorado Independent news site recently reported that wages for sheepherders in the Western Slope will finally be increased after documenting abuses for years, including working around-the-clock in difficult conditions for a salary of to $2 to $3 per hour. A seriously ill sheepherder was hospitalized in Grand Junction because he had not received proper medical care which was required by law through his employer. The herder died several days later.

Wage theft is epidemic in America, cutting across industries, regions and sizes of firms. U.S. Department of Labor surveys have found wage theft in 60 percent of nursing homes, 67 to 89 percent of garment factories, 100 percent of poultry plants, 25-62 percent in various agricultural crop categories, and 30-78 percent of restaurants. Day laborers and landscapers are also routinely cheated of wages. And the economic impact is huge: it costs its victims $19 billion annually just in unpaid overtime and more than all robberies combined in a given year.

About 80 percent of the millions of wage theft victims never recover their stolen wages. The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute reported last year that in Colorado alone, $750 million in “wage nonpayment” is withheld from workers annually with only a “small fraction” being reported. This translates to an estimated $25 million to $47 million in lost taxes for Colorado.

To address this crisis, state and federal laws need to provide a clear definition for wage theft and be updated and enforced. There should be meaningful penalties for those employers who are guilty of stealing their employees’ wages. Workers need to be educated about what wage theft looks like. Unions and workers’ centers, which help to educate workers about and protect them from wage theft, do not have much of a presence in Southwest Colorado.

For more information about workers’ rights or if you believe you are a victim of wage theft, contact the Colorado Department of  Labor and Employment at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/complaint-forms.

– Maureen Maliszewski, director, La Plata County Thrive! Living Wage Coalition

$750 million in “wage nonpayment” is withheld from workers annually with only a “small fraction” being reported. This translates to an estimated $25 million to $47 million in lost taxes for Colorado.

To address this crisis, state and federal laws need to provide a clear definition for wage theft and be updated and enforced. There should be meaningful penalties for those employers who are guilty of stealing their employees’ wages. Workers need to be educated about what wage theft looks like. Unions and workers’ centers, which help to educate workers about and protect them from wage theft, do not have much of a presence in Southwest Colorado.

For more information about workers’ rights or if you believe you are a victim of wage theft, contact the Colorado Department of  Labor and Employment at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/complaint-forms.

– Maureen Maliszewski, director, La Plata County Thrive!

Living Wage Coalition

No services at the Lumien

To the editor,

I have lived in the Lumien Apartments for seven weeks now. When I moved here, there was going to be wi-fi, cable and phone. I have no cable or phone. And the wifi we are using is the manager’s. Charter and Centurylink have been ignoring calls from the Lumien residents. And we have nothing, I have to pay $35 for my cell phone for the minutes.

It’s interesting that the apartments next door have internet, cable and phone from Charter. And they are playing “it’s not my job” or “we are too busy.” We need these services now! Not 60 days from now.

I have my phone number at Centurylink and they won’t give it back to Charter. Something is so wrong. Charter and Centurylink need to step up and provide cable, phone and internet. We will be so happy to be part of the outside world.

– Frances Dance, Durango

Thanks for saving Red Mountain

To the editor,

Hello everyone. I would like to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your support in writing the county commissioners of San Juan County. At this time the proposal of the five single-family homes is denied.  The County Lawyer Paul Sunderland outlined the building code, which addresses most of our concerns as stewards of this land, including: parking atop Red Mountain Pass; sewage and water systems; air quality with wood burning stoves; and, most important of all, the potential density in the Red Mountain Mining District. If all the claim owners on Red Mountain were to build cabins the density would be unsustainable for this timberline environment. The building code for the County already has these concerns written into it to help prevent this type of development.

It would seem that any future development up there will be very expensive for the property owner, because the burden of proof regarding impact to all the aforementioned items will be placed on the claim owner. It should be noted that in the past, the county commissioners have been quite lenient in favor of land owners with these requests.

All of your letters and support were a huge help in bringing forth our concerns of this place and I strongly believe had a huge impact. Thank you for taking the time.

– Sincerely, Chris George and family, Durango

Ignoring a ‘teachable moment’

To the editor,

The three major national news outlets covered the story on Nov. 6 of Cañon City High School in Colorado. A “sexting” activity occurred within the student body which included football players. Although a limited number of students were involved, the school district administration, the school principal, the athletic director and the football coach treated the activity and incident as a “teachable moment” and terminated the football season, forfeiting the final scheduled game. Although innocent parties were affected, the school district in unified approach decided the message had to be clear and unequivocal. I applaud these “educators.”
    I think we should contrast their approach to that of District 9-R in the matter of the cross country team drug issue involving an overdose in Arizona. The 9-R spokeswoman regarding the DHS community team indicated that there exists confusion in Colorado about drugs for adolescents. She basically excused the activities as a result of cultural misunderstanding. A member of the Animas High School Board in a letter to the editor indicated their school was misrepresented, unfairly so, stating that they had taken a “holistic” approach, without stating the specific actions taken. A local civil liberties attorney at a town type meeting implied that somehow drug testing was an issue. All of this is an obfuscation of the real issue of illegal activity and group participation. 
     I believe the contrast between Cañon City and Durango in handling  serious and problematic issues is significant. It is clear Durango did not see a “teachable moment” regarding the drug episode. Query, are we in Durango so needy of something positive from 9-R that we miss making a definitive statement? Possibly it is the undue influence of specific individuals in decision making at the 9-R district. A website that covers high school athletics in Colorado termed “Milesplit” lists the team members of DHS. It also lists the grade levels of the members of the cross country team. In examining the “senior” leadership of the team, one can readily deduce why Durango treated its team differently than Cañon City.

Sorry, but I think the DHS championship trophy should be in the unlighted portion of the trophy case, it is severely tarnished. Cañon City administrative officials and athletic department understand what teaching is all about!

– William Greer, Durango