Statement From A.G. Schneiderman On Low Wage Workers Day Of Action

NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today released the following statement in support of all those gathering across the country to demand fairness for low-wage workers:

“Today, across the country, workers are standing up to send an important message: They deserve a raise, and they deserve to be treated fairly. In a society as wealthy as ours, there is no reason that anyone who is willing to work full time should live in poverty. And in a society as advanced as ours, it is outrageous that many employers in our state fail to pay their workers even the minimum that they are legally owed. That’s called wage theft, and my office has been – and will continue to be - very aggressive in bringing both civil and criminal cases to stop it. I am proud to stand with these workers today in New York as they fight for a raise and for fairness.”

Since 2011, Attorney General Schneiderman has successfully returned more than $20 million in restitution to more than 17,000 workers across New York, and recovered more than $2 million in restitution and penalties for the state. This year alone, the Attorney General has taken a number of actions against labor law violations:

• On Tuesday, the Attorney General secured a total of $970,000 in settlements with current and former owners of 35 Domino’s franchise locations in 13 counties statewide, from Long Island to the suburbs of Buffalo, for violating workers’ basic rights.
• On Monday, his office sent letters to 13 major retailers seeking more information on their possibly disruptive ‘on call’ scheduling practices.
• Last week, with the NYC Department of Investigation, the Attorney General announced the arrests of five contractors charged with underpaying workers on public works projects in New York City by nearly $1 million.
• In February, a judge awarded a judgment of over $2 million in unpaid wages and penalties to the Attorney General against New Majority Holdings, LLC, a New York City-based Papa John’s franchisee, and its owner Ronald Johnson.
• In January, the Attorney General obtained a judgment for nearly $800,000 against Emmanuel Onuaguluchi, the operator of Emstar Pizza Inc., another New York City-based Papa John’s franchisee.

If you are aware of a violation of workplace rights in New York State, whether as a victim or a concerned witness, please file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Labor Bureau by filling out this complaint form or by calling the Labor Bureau at 212-416-8700.