Wage theft is a widespread problem that hurts workers, families and communities.
Protecting Workers’ Hard-Earned Pay
Wage theft is the illegal practice of denying workers the wages and benefits they have rightfully earned. It’s a widespread problem that hurts workers, families and communities by driving down wages and creating unfair competition from low-road contractors.
Wage theft can take many forms, including:
- Failure to pay workers on time at their promised wage.
- Unpaid overtime premiums.
- Failure to pay prevailing wages.
- Misclassification of workers as independent contractors.
- Stolen tips.
- Outright nonpayment.
Holding Violators Accountable
The Baltimore-D.C. Metro Building Trades Council is on the frontlines in the fight against wage theft across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia
Through strong contracts, legal advocacy, and worker organizing, we work to hold unscrupulous employers accountable and push for tougher enforcement of labor laws. By supporting legislation that strengthens wage protections and working with government agencies to crack down on violators, we help ensure that all workers receive fair pay for their work.
Together, we’re fighting back against wage theft and building an economy where workers are treated with dignity and respect.
Case Study: SMART Local 100 helps win back pay for wage theft and worker misclassification
In early 2022, SMART Local 100 filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) alleging that a non-union contractor on the Potomac Yards Metro Station project (located in Virginia) had misclassified sheet metal workers performing metal roofing work on the station. The complaint alleged they were paid approximately 60% less than the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage that should have been paid on the job.
“Misclassification is pretty rampant across the country,” explained SMART Local 100 Marketing Director Chuck Sewell in a SMART News video. “Our contractors have to abide by certain rules, they have to pay certain rates, they know what the rates are, so that’s how they bid the projects. If you have these low-wage contractors come in and undercut everybody and get the project, it takes work hours from the local.”
The DOL investigation, which concluded in the fall of 2022, found that the 8 employees in question were, in fact, misclassified, and owed more than $288,000 in back wages.
Read more about the DOL investigation and settlement on the smart-union.org website.