Northeast Ohio Worker Center helps fight employer wage theft

Grace Heffernan, co-founder and contractor with the Northeast Ohio Worker Center, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss employer wage theft and some of the resources available for workers to recover lost wages from their employers.

The Northeast Ohio Worker Center is part of a nationwide network dedicated to educating workers on their rights, organizing and helping people resist unfair labor practices. Heffernan talked about the center’s efforts to help workers learn about unfair labor practices and their prevalence among low-road employers. She also briefly explained past partnerships between worker centers and unions and how they help guide workers to a better future using worker-friendly policies and support from organized labor.

If a worker notices their pay does not match the number of hours worked, there are resources available to get the money they are due. She explained some of the situations where a worker might encounter missing wages. Heffernan explained that several of the situations would not require lawyers to become involved, but if necessary, the center can help connect workers to a lawyer who can help.

Finally, Heffernan discussed the potential penalties for employers caught committing wage theft. Wage theft occurs nearly 100 times more than the next closest theft classification, but unless local governments monitor these cases, employers avoid serious consequences. She talked about the great work that some local governments have done, with help from unions, to establish strong penalties for employers. 

Listen to the show above to learn more about how worker centers like Heffernan’s are helping workers get their money back from employers who commit wage theft.

For more on the Northeast Ohio Worker Center, please visit their website.