Jan C

Wage Justice Center

Using innovative legal theories and tools borrowed from commercial collections law, the Wage Justice Center has collected millions of dollars in back wages and penalties owed to low-income workers. Most of these back wages were collected in cases that community groups, legal aid attorneys, and the State of California had long written off—issues involving the highly unscrupulous and exploitative business that are rampant in the underground economy. By developing new strategies to enforce wage rights and educate workers, advocates, and the public, the Wage Justice Center empowers long-abused workers to assert their fundamental rights and collect unpaid wages from employers who have previously escaped consequences for illegally underpaying their employees. The Wage Justice Center can affect many more workers' lives and significantly address the overwhelming need by working to create a permanent long-term solution. To accomplish this, we build on our collaborative campaign work, expanding educational training and outreach to workers, attorneys, community advocates, and the public. To breathe life into workers' fundamental economic rights, the Wage Justice Center must train and build a network of attorneys, advocates, and workers who can effectively utilize the legal tools and strategies necessary to collect unpaid wages.