{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases/magaziner-introduces-bill-crack-down-wage-theft", "Magaziner Introduces Bill to Crack Down on Wage Theft", "2024-08-08", "2024", "2024-08", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Seth Magaziner", "M001223", "magaziner.house.gov", "magaziner", "https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WARWICK, RI \u2014 Today, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner held a press conference to announce his bill, the Don\u2019t Stand for Taking Employed American\u2019s Livings (Don\u2019t STEAL) Act, that would make wage theft a felony nationwide. Rep. Magaziner was joined by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha and labor leaders.\n\n\u201cEvery day, workers across the country are cheated out of the pay they\u2019ve earned. It is outrageous that someone can face jail time for stealing a television from the store, but not for stealing wages worth far more than a television out of a worker\u2019s pocket,\u201d said Rep. Seth Magaziner. \u201cThis is wrong and it needs to change. I\u2019m proud to introduce the Don\u2019t STEAL Act to help ensure Americans who put in a hard day\u2019s work receive the pay they have earned and deserve.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn June 2023, at the request of my Office, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed a bill that strengthened laws against wage theft in Rhode Island,\u201d said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha. \u201cI am grateful that Representative Magaziner is taking this fight to the federal level; collaboration between multiple levels of government on these crimes allows for enhanced investigatory efficiency, and ultimately holding accountable bad actors who steal wages from their employees.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Rhode Island Labor Movement worked to make wage theft a felony under state law here in the Ocean State, and we are proud to stand with Congressman Magaziner as he leads the effort to take the cause nation-wide,\u201d said George Nee, President of the RI AFL-CIO. \u201cWorkers power our economy, and when unscrupulous employers steal their wages it impacts all of us. This legislation is a critical step forward in protecting workers rights and our entire economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cWage theft is a scourge across this country that preys upon the most vulnerable workers in a variety of industries but is rampant in the construction industry. Federal legislation like the Don\u2019t STEAL Act would go a long way towards protecting hard working families, as well as leveling the playing field for legitimate employers,\u201d said Justin Kelley, Business Representative of Painters Union District Council 11 and Chairman of the Organizing & Development Committee, RI Building Trades Council\n\n\u201cWage theft is insidious, pervasive and comes in many forms \u2014 from failing to pay forovertime to distributing pooled tips to an employer or supervisor. This is a rampant problem that needs to be fixed at the federal level, and I applaud Representative Magaziner\u2019s proposed legislation. It will provide a deterrence to unscrupulous employers exploiting workers so that law-abiding businesses can fairly compete and that workers can get the wages that they have duly earned,\u201d said Greg Mancini, Executive Director of BuildRI.\n\nWage theft costs American workers at least $50 billion per year \u2013 far more than the value of all robberies, burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts combined.\n\nWhile the vast majority of employers treat their workers fairly, a small number of bad actors often pay their workers less than promised, deny workers overtime, or steal tips. Wage theft disproportionately impacts low-wage workers, women and people of color. It harms local economies and reduces tax revenues.\n\nCurrent federal laws on wage theft give bad actors a slap on the wrist for stealing their employees\u2019 wages, and don\u2019t adequately serve as a deterrent.\n\nThe Don\u2019t STEAL Act updates the penalties for wage theft violations to be commensurate with other forms of criminal theft under federal law:\n\nUnder this legislation, employers who willfully fail to pay their employees the wages they are owed, fail to compensate their employees for overtime work, or steal tips will face a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the severity of the crime. Under current law, employers who commit wage theft at most face a misdemeanor.\n\nThese changes will bring the penalties for wage theft to parity with other common forms of theft under federal law. Under current law, an employer who commits wilful wage theft can be criminally fined no more than $10,000, but this bill would remove that cap and require bad actor employers to be fined in proportion to wages stolen.\n\nThis legislation is endorsed by AFL-CIO; Center for American Progress; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT); International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC); International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC); International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT); Laborers International Union of North American (LiUNA); North America\u2019s Building Trades Union (NABTU); North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC); Operative Plasterers\u2019 and Cement Masons\u2019 International Association (OPCMIA); Public Citizen; Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, Transportation Workers International Association (SMART); United Association Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, and Service Techs (UA); United Auto Workers (UAW); United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases/magaziner-introduces-bill-crack-down-wage-theft"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0110631119459867, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}