Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Thursday the creation of a Worker Protection Unit which aims to take wages out of the pockets of shady employers and into the hands of honest workers.
“At the Manhattan D.A.’s office, we’re holding accountable companies and executives that exploit their workers, whether by jeopardizing their safety or stealing their wages,” said District Attorney Bragg. “The creation of the Office’s first-ever Worker Protection Unit is our latest move to stand up for hard-working New Yorkers. Again and again, we see companies taking advantage of our most vulnerable populations, including low-income and undocumented New Yorkers, and abusing power imbalances to line their pockets. Together with our partners in law enforcement, the legislature, the community, and beyond, we will make sure workers are treated fairly, and bad faith employers who violate the laws are held accountable for their crimes.”
Manhattan prosecutors are going after corporations that steal workers’ wages and jeopardize their safety, officials announced Thursday. The first-ever Worker Protection Unit at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office will prosecute and investigate wage theft in the borough, authorities said. In addition to criminal charges, the new unit will also focus on recouping wages and workplace harassment.
On a recent evening, as the Manhattan district attorney looked on, five prosecutors from the office received certificates for completing a semester-long course called Inside Criminal Justice. But what made the ceremony and the course unique were the class’s other students: five convicted felons who had served their time and were now free.
