In November 2019, a group of workers, represented by Legal Aid at Work, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and Wage Justice Center, filed mechanic’s liens for claimed wages earned for work performed at Chapman Court, a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument located in Koreatown, Los Angeles. The workers are happy to report that they have resolved their dispute with the companies involved except Core Painting. Kaptive Construction & Preservation, Inc., a company doing business as Kaptive C&P, and M. Librush Construction, Inc., a company doing business as MDM Builders Group have come forward to help resolve the dispute. These claims between the workers and Kaptive Construction and M. Librush Construction are now fully resolved as the workers have been compensated to their satisfaction.

For nearly seven years, “Olivia” cleaned restrooms, emptied trash, and vacuumed at a Southern California Police Department, working for a company called Good Quality Janitorial. When she bravely spoke out about widespread wage theft in the janitorial industry—without even naming her employer—her boss retaliated by firing her.

Determined to seek justice, Olivia filed claims for years of stolen wages. The California Labor Commissioner awarded her $20,000, but like many victims of wage theft, she couldn’t collect on the judgment alone. That’s when she turned to the Wage Justice Center. Our investigation uncovered a common employer scheme: her former boss had simply changed the company’s name to Good Stuff Janitorial to dodge responsibility—all while continuing to clean the same police station.

With the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund (MCTF), we took legal action, exposing how the company illegally transferred its business account without a new bid. The employer’s attempts to fight back failed, and in the end, Olivia won an additional $28,000 in wages and interest. But her fight didn’t stop there—Olivia continued her activism, traveling to Sacramento to advocate for stronger worker protections, helping pave the way for the now-passed SB 588.

Wage theft is rampant, but workers like Olivia prove that when we fight back, we win.

Five garment workers won a $100,000 judgment for stolen wages after being paid just $3.65 per hour—far below California’s minimum wage. But when it came time to collect, their employers, a married couple, had already transferred over $1 million in assets—including their home and another business—to their college-age son, all for free.

By the time the Wage Justice Center took over the case, it looked like the owners had no assets left. But after deep investigation, we uncovered the fraudulent transfers and filed a lawsuit to expose the scheme. After extensive legal work and a tough mediation, we secured an agreement ensuring the workers would be paid in full—with a deed of trust to guarantee payment.

Four Filipino caregivers in Northern California worked grueling 12-hour shifts, five days a week—plus another 60 hours of interrupted overnight “on-call” time—yet were paid as little as $2.88 an hour. Despite their dedication, the facility owners announced they were selling the business and moving abroad, giving the workers just 10 days' notice before losing their jobs entirely.

With the help of the Filipino Community Center, the workers reported the abuse. Even after the owners admitted to wage violations, they tried to sell the care home to escape accountability. That’s when the Wage Justice Center stepped in. Using our expertise in commercial law, we helped block a rushed sale and forced the employers to negotiate. In the end, the workers won a $250,000 settlement—proving that when workers stand together, justice is possible.

Luis worked for nearly five months on renovation projects for a contractor whose main client was a real estate company. Despite promises of payment, Luis was repeatedly shorted, going weeks without pay. When he finally filed a wage complaint, the contractor admitted to owing wages—but attempted to use bankruptcy to avoid paying.

The Wage Justice Center took the case to trial, proving that the contractor had been paid in full but lied to Luis to keep him working. In a significant victory for workers' rights, the court ruled that because of this fraud, the contractor’s debt to Luis could not be erased in bankruptcy. This case set a crucial precedent, affirming that wage theft victims deserve the same protections as other fraud victims in bankruptcy court.

Nneka endured workplace harassment for wearing a hijab, facing ridicule from coworkers and, ultimately, a violent attack from her employer. After being fired without her final wages, she pursued a wage claim and won a judgment for $7,341.14. However, her former employer refused to pay and even falsely claimed she had already been compensated.

With the Wage Justice Center’s expertise in legal remedies, we took swift action. Within four months, we successfully recovered every dollar of Nneka’s unpaid wages by levying the business’ bank account. No worker should have to fight alone—if your employer refuses to pay, we’re here to help.