Last week, for the first time ever, Members of Congress introduced an amendment that would bar federal contractors who engage in wage theft from doing business with the U.S. Government.
The amendment garnered the support of the entire Democratic Caucus and 10 Republican House members who crossed the partisan divide to end wage theft. Ultimately, the amendment failed 211- 196.
“The federal government could lead the way by disqualifying contractors who practice wage theft, but House Republicans voted tonight against an amendment to do exactly that,” U.S Reps. Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva, the leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told The Huffington Post.
Rep. Ellison and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee gave impassioned floor speeches urging their colleagues to stand-up for low wage federal contract workers. Watch it here.
Members of Congress are acting in response to a series of wage theft complaints filed with the US Department of Labor by Good Jobs Nation workers at iconic federal buildings like Union Station and The Ronald Reagan Building in Washington DC. These low-wage workers are owed at least $4 million in back-pay and damages because current minimum wage and overtime laws are routinely flouted on federal property.
However, these workers need not wait for Congress to act – the President can use his executive powers to make sure federal contractors don’t cheat workers.
Recently, Good Jobs Nation wage theft victims met with the new Wage and Hour Administrator of the US Labor Department and urged him to quickly conclude the pending investigations and take action to stop lawbreakers from receiving federal contracts.
“Every day the Administration fails to act, another worker is robbed,” said Tibebe Ayele, who made $5.86 an hour while working in the food court at Union Station.
The fight for a Good Jobs Nation is ramping up again … Be the first to know about what’s next.