Heinrich Cosponsors Legislation to Stop Wage Theft

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich announced Tuesday that he cosponsored the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, comprehensive legislation to put hard-earned wages back in workers’ pockets and crack down on employers who unfairly withhold wages from their employees.

The bill would also give workers the right to receive full compensation for the work they perform and to receive regular paystubs and final paychecks in a timely manner.

Between 2017 and 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor recovered more than $3 billion in stolen wages on behalf of workers — representing just a small fraction of wages stolen nationwide. These illegal practices disproportionately hurt low-wage workers.

“New Mexicans work hard to put food on the table and provide for their family. Their wages should always reflect that work,” Heinrich said. “I’m proud to cosponsor legislation that will crack down on big corporations that withhold pay from workers. I will always stand with New Mexico’s working families and fight to make sure our economy works for them.”

The Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act would help combat wage theft and improve wage recovery by:

• Strengthening workers’ rights to fair pay and improving employer accountability;
• Increasing deterrence of and penalties for wage theft violations;
• Improving recovery of workers’ stolen wages; and
• Expanding workers’ rights to their employment records.

The legislation was led by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.).

Alongside Heinrich, the bill was cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Colo.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

The legislation is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, the Economic Policy Institute, the National Employment Law Project, the National Women’s Law Center and the Service Employees International Union.

A one-pager on the bill is available here.

Legislative text is available here.