File #: Res 0612-2015    Version: * Name: Wage Theft Prevention Act. (A.5501)
Type: Resolution Status: Adopted
Committee: Committee on Civil Service and Labor
On agenda: 3/11/2015
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign, A.5501, strengthening the provisions of the Wage Theft Prevention Act.
Sponsors: Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ritchie J. Torres, Rory I. Lancman, Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Corey D. Johnson, I. Daneek Miller, Maria Del Carmen Arroyo, Margaret S. Chin, Costa G. Constantinides, Vincent J. Gentile, Vanessa L. Gibson, Brad S. Lander, Annabel Palma, Deborah L. Rose, Karen Koslowitz, Helen K. Rosenthal, Carlos Menchaca, Andrew Cohen, Elizabeth S. Crowley, Ydanis A. Rodriguez, James G. Van Bramer, Jumaane D. Williams, Daniel Dromm , Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., Ben Kallos, The Public Advocate (Ms. James)
Council Member Sponsors: 26
Attachments: 1. March 11, 2015 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 2. Committee Report 4/20/15, 3. Hearing Testimony 4/20/15, 4. Hearing Transcript 4/20/15, 5. Committee Report 4/24/15, 6. Hearing Transcript 4/24/15, 7. April 28, 2015 - Stated Meeting Agenda with Links to Files, 8. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 4-28-15, 9. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - April 28, 2015
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
4/28/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito City Council Approved, by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
4/24/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Civil Service and Labor Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/24/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Civil Service and Labor Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
4/20/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Women's Issues Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/20/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Women's Issues Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/20/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Civil Service and Labor Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/20/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito Committee on Civil Service and Labor Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
3/11/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
3/11/2015*Melissa Mark-Viverito City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
Res. No. 612
 
 
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign, A.5501, strengthening the provisions of the Wage Theft Prevention Act.
 
 
By The Speaker (Council Member Mark-Viverito) and Council Members Torres, Lancman, Ferreras, Johnson, Miller, Arroyo, Chin, Constantinides, Gentile, Gibson, Lander, Palma, Rose, Koslowitz, Rosenthal, Menchaca, Cohen, Crowley, Rodriguez, Van Bramer, Williams, Dromm, Cornegy, Kallos and the Public Advocate (Ms. James)
 
      Whereas, The New York State Wage Theft Prevention Act ("the Act") became effective on April 9, 2011, and was amended in 2014; and
      Whereas, The Act was intended to provide protection to workers against wage theft; and
      Whereas, Specifically, the Act, regulates the manner workers are notified of their pay rates and receive wage statements, and expands the civil and criminal remedies for wage theft; and
      Whereas, However, even when employees successfully pursue civil remedies against their employers who stole wages, State law places considerable hurdles that hinder the collection of money judgments; and
      Whereas, For example, according to a 2015 report, Empty Judgments: The Wage Collection Crisis in New York, issued by the Legal Aid Society, the Urban Justice Center, and National Center for Law and Economic Justice, existing lien and legal procedures make collection extremely difficult; and
Whereas, The 2015 Empty Judgments report "identified at least $125 million in empty judgments and orders" and purports that the State has been unable to collect over $101 million in unpaid wages between 2003 and 2013, according to records of the New York State Department of Labor; and  
Whereas, New York State Assembly bill A.5501, introduced by Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, would strengthen the existing Wage Theft Prevention Act by creating a process to allow an employee to impose a lien on an employer's property for the amount of unpaid wages arising out of the employee's employment claim; and
 Whereas, Under the law, workers would have a better chance of enforcing money judgments; now, therefore, be it
      Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign, A.5501, strengthening the provisions of the Wage Theft Prevention Act.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BG/RC/GZ
LS 913/2014
03/10/15