Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Low-wage workers in the U.S. face challenging circumstances, as wages have declined or stagnated for millions, and economic inequality has soared. The percentage of workers belonging to unions, which have traditionally enforced labor laws and advocated for new policies, has declined from 33 percent after World War II to less than 11 percent today. However, difficult conditions have also created opportunities for experimentation, and new organizations have arisen to fill some of the vacuum left by union decline.

Worker centers, which are community-based, community-led non-profits, are one of these new organizational types. Over 200 worker centers across the U.S. have achieved significant policy victories, passing state and local legislation to protect workers. However, it is unclear how worker centers relate to labor unions, which are more established, bureaucratic labor market institutions. This study examines why, and how, worker centers collaborate with unions to improve outcomes for low-wage immigrant workers. Specifically, the paper examines recent policy efforts to address wage theft in the Boston metropolitan area

Among other activities, worker centers provide training, conduct workers’ rights education, and support policies that protect workers from wage theft and other violations of labor law. Wage theft affects workers of all races and ethnicities, but it is especially severe among immigrants, particularly the undocumented. The problem can occur in a variety of different ways, including through the alteration of timecards, denial of overtime, or payment for fewer hours than actually worked. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) reported that in Fiscal Year 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor recovered $280 million in back pay for over 300,000 workers.

The paper focuses on the Immigrant Worker Center Collaborative (IWCC), a coalition of 9 worker centers in Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. My project focuses on wage theft policies co-produced by worker centers and unions in the Boston area. The research aims to determine best practices for policy campaigns involving worker centers and unions. To accomplish this aim, the author has gathered original data through 26 semi-structured interviews with worker center and union staff, as well as community stakeholders. In addition, the variables that emerged from these interviews are being examined through a survey (n=40) of worker center staff, union staff, and community stakeholders.

This research will have important implications for policies affecting low-wage labor markets, particularly in urban areas with substantial immigrant communities. Findings will be useful for policymakers, policy analysts, funders, and other academics and practitioners. As the world of work continues to evolve, the ability for worker centers, unions, and other stakeholders to collaborate will affect enforcement of, and passage of, policies on a host of labor issues. Findings will not only generate insights on wage theft policies, but also other labor issues, including paid sick leave, worker schedules, minimum wages, and occupational health and safety. Findings will thus have implications for millions of vulnerable workers.