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Trump suffers first defeat but as always doubles down for the next fight; From Ohio to Azerbaijan: How COP29 could shape local farming; Funding boosts 'green' projects in Meadville, PA; VA apprenticeships bridge skills gaps, offer career stability.

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Trump has a new pick for Attorney General, his incoming "border czar" warns local Democratic officials not to impede mass deportation, and the House passes legislation that could target any nonprofit group accused of supporting terrorism.

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The CDC has a new plan to improve the health of rural Americans, updated data could better prepare folks for flash floods like those that devastated Appalachia, and Native American Tribes could play a key role in the nation's energy future.

NY Task Force to Combat Worker Exploitation Gets Boost

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Friday, October 16, 2015   

NEW YORK - Gov. Andrew Cuomo this week announced new measures to advance the state's Task Force to Combat Worker Exploitation, but advocates are concerned it may not be enough.

The measures include funding to coordinate outreach, investigations and prosecutions, and a new anti-retaliation unit for workers who stand up for their rights. According to Anita Halasz, executive director of Long Island Jobs with Justice, many of the workers who will benefit are immigrants.

"We definitely commend the governor for taking this very important step," she said, "because, oftentimes, immigrant workers are working in the shadows and are unable to represent themselves."

Worker advocates, however, are concerned that the additional $700,000 in funding is too little to address the problem of worker exploitation statewide.

Halasz said the state Department of Labor is recovering back pay for some workers who are victims of wage theft, but the pace is slow.

"We're looking at a lot of workers who file wage-theft claims who don't actually recover their wages for well over a year if not two years," she said, "and I think that's an indication of how underfunded a lot of these offices are."

The Task Force has opened 30 joint-agency enforcement cases across the state so far, including investigations of alleged wage theft, child labor law violations and retaliation against workers.

Dealing with exploitation on a case-by-case basis may bring a measure of justice to many workers. But Halasz said a critical step would be to make sure all workers have the right to organize and collectively bargain with employers.

"We know that ultimately a union contract really is the only way to ensure that workers have a voice on the job and that they aren't left as vulnerable to workplace exploitation," she said.

The advisory committee for the Task Force will provide recommendations by December for consideration by the Legislature in the coming year.

More information is online at ny.gov.



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