Group Aims to Stop Wage Theft in Central Oregon

A local organization has made a new tool available for people facing wage theft issues.

Wage theft is when employers find ways to not give payment that’s due to the employees.

On Sunday, Central Oregon Jobs with Justice introduced their worker’s rights board.

It’s a three-member team consisting of a representative for labor (Steve Williamson), the Latino community (Greg Delgado) and legal matters (Bruce Morris).

According to Central Oregon Jobs with Justice, a recent survey found that 1,100 wage theft claims occurred in the state from 2010 to -2011, totaling $3.5 million.

“A lot of the time, it happens to people that are impoverished, sometimes to undocumented citizens. And these employers use these to almost in a sense blackmail the employee,” said Chris Lawler, Jobs With Justice organizer. “(They say ), ‘Hey there’s nothing you can do about it — you’re just going to have to wait until I can give you your money.'”

Common examples of theft of wages include not paying overtime or not paying adequately for the extra hours.

Another example: Employers who under-employ people in terms of working hours to prevent them from getting benefits, especially for minimum-wage jobs.

Lawler hopes people who have wage theft issues will use the board to find out what their options are.

To contact the Central Oregon Jobs with Justice Workers’ Rights Board you can call them at 541-728-0228 or by e-mail at organizer@jwjcentraloregon.com