Officials Vow To Enforce Wage Theft Law

A new law goes after those who don’t pay their employees fairly went into effect in May, and local law enforcement say employers will face consequences if they don’t comply.

The wage theft law was authored by El Paso state Sen. Jose Rodriguez.

“I didn’t have money to pay for an attorney,” said Lidia Cruz, who said her employer refused to pay her two years ago.

Cruz represents a startling statistic in our community: one in eight workers is a victim of wage theft.

“They’re scared. They don’t know their rights,” said Cruz, who is now with the Labor Justice Committee.

“We’re talking about day laborers. We’re talking about individuals who work in the construction industry, in the landscaping industry and other sectors in our economy,” Rodriguez said.

The new state law makes it easier to prosecute these usually difficult cases.

“We now have the tool from a law enforcement perspective to look at each and every one of these cases,” said Sheriff Richard Wiles.

Cruz said she’s now working to recuperate nearly $1 million in unpaid wages to El Paso workers.

“They count with those $20 to $30 a day,” Ruiz said.

“Maybe those victims are vulnerable, but just because they’re vulnerable, state law does not permit you to take advantage of them and we will pursue those cases,” District Attorney Jaime Esparza said.

Breaking the law can range from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony.

For more information on how to protect yourself, call the Labor Justice Committee at 915-532-3799.