NEW YORK — In honor of Labor Day, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued his third annual Labor Day report, Working for Justice, covering what his officer refers to as “the robust enforcement actions of his Labor Bureau and the key policies he has promoted on behalf of working men and women.”
“As Attorney General, I remain steadfastly committed to ensuring that workers are paid for the work they do, that their pay lifts them out of poverty, and that undue obstacles aren’t placed in their path to job security and economic advancement,” Schneiderman said. “I celebrate the progress we made over the past year, and will continue fighting for the working men and women who contribute so much to our great state.”
Some of the AG’s proudest accomplishments on behalf of workers this year include:
- Recovering almost $5.7 million for more than 3,300 low-wage workers, including fast-food employees, home health aides, taxi drivers, restaurant employees, and construction workers, among others. Since taking office, Attorney General Schneiderman has recovered nearly $27 million for more than 20,000 workers victimized by wage theft, and levied $2.5 million in penalties against unscrupulous employers.
- G. Schneiderman’s first-of-its-kind lawsuit against Domino’s Pizza as a joint employer responsible along with three franchisees for repeated violations of law and underpayment of workers at the three franchisees’ restaurants. Since taking office, A.G. Schneiderman has recovered $1.5 million for some 1,200 workers at 61 Domino’s stores across New York. His lawsuit against Domino’s corporate enterprise rightfully seeks to hold the company responsible for the wage theft endemic to its franchises nationwide, given the level of control exercised by Domino’s over franchisees’ operations, including labor relations.
- Successfully pursuing criminal prosecution for particularly egregious violators, including a home-health-care-agency owner who repeatedly failed to pay his employees; a Papa John’s franchise owner who created fake records after being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor; and, in joint investigations with the New York City Department of Investigations and the Inspector General of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, contractors on public works projects that paid below the legally required prevailing wage rates.
- Obtaining agreements from six retail corporations comprising 13 brands, such as the Gap, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, and J. Crew, to end the harmful practice of “on-call scheduling,” in which workers are required to call in to work a few hours in advance to find out if they are needed; such shifts require employees to obtain child care and forego other employment and educational opportunities without compensation.
- Ending unscrupulous non-compete agreements for workers at multiple companies, including Law360 and Jimmy John’s, after investigations by the AG’s Labor Bureau. Non-compete clauses are legal in New York only when a worker has highly specialized skills or access to trade secrets.
Full details of the Office of the Attorney General’s work on behalf of workers can be found in the report released today.
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