Wage Theft:
Currently there is a national epidemic of unscrupulous employers not paying their employees. The non-payment of wages is an especially common occurrence for immigrant workers; a national study found that 50% of day laborers had had their wages stolen in a recent two-month period. In several years of working toward the recovery of unpaid wages, WDP has received hundreds of cases from low-wage workers in Austin who have worked in construction, cleaning, landscaping, childcare, and food service, all of whom were denied payment for their work, or not paid the legal minimum wage or overtime. The non-payment of wages affects the quality of life of workers and their families, who are forced to face unplanned economic hardships when employers refuse to pay them. These hardships often result in immigrant families not having enough income to pay for their basic needs.

Workers' Rights Education:
Through weekly workers' rights trainings, WDP has informed over 7,000 low-wage workers about their workplace rights and how to protect themselves from workplace abuses. In addition, through “Day Labor Street Theater”— a traveling, corner-to-corner educational performance — day laborers learn about their rights and how they can protect themselves from employment abuse common among temporary workers. WDP also offers a 10-week course for low-wage workers to become trained community educators, so that they are able to educate other workers in their community. Additionally, WDP regularly runs public service announcements and informative news stories in the media informing thousands of Austin's workers of their rights.

Wage Recovery:
WDP has recovered over $575,000 in unpaid wages through negotiation, collaboration with state agencies, and cooperation with religious and union allies to apply public pressure to employers (for example holding candlelight vigils at the worksite with the support of clergy). When necessary, WDP refers cases to collaborating attorneys who can pursue legal action. In addition to providing the important service of recovering unpaid wages, WDP’s wage recovery process educates workers about their rights and engages them in all steps of the wage recovery. WDP’s strategies, undertaken with the active involvement and leadership of the affected workers, empower low-wage workers with the knowledge and community support they need to prevent future cases of wage theft.