Workers Excluded from Multitude of Labor Laws Seek Faster, More Effective Enforcement from U.S. Labor Dept.

Town Hall Will Gather More Than 100 with Aim to Clarify Rights of Workers Who Do Not Fall Under Traditional Federal Worker Protections

NEW YORK, NY (10/14/2011)(readMedia)-- On Monday, October 17th, at 6pm, workers from a variety of sectors excluded from most labor laws – domestic workers, restaurant workers, day laborers, farm workers, formerly incarcerated, and workfare workers – will meet with Melvina Ford of the U.S. Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division. The meeting is being organized by local organizations from two national networks, the Excluded Workers Congress and National People's Action.

High unemployment and unstable work environments have led many employers to steal wages, misclassify workers, curtail the use of safety equipment and engage in other dangerous labor violations. Without the U.S. DOL prioritizing excluded workers' status, response to violations can take months or years to investigate.

See www.excludedworkerscongress.org or www.npa-us.org for more information on the two sponsoring national networks and the issues of excluded workers.

WHO:

Organizational members of the Excluded Workers Congress & National People's Action and their members
WHAT:

Workers will ask for clarification on what rights pertain to their work categories, and how to get the Department of Labor to investigate their claims of violations in the workplace. Some of the issues to be highlighted include collective bargaining, on-the-job training, wage theft, race discrimination, immigration status discrimination, and safety issues.
WHEN: Monday October 17, 2011 at 06:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
330 West 42nd Street – Penthouse
Between 8th & 9th Avenues
New York, New York 10036