At a press conference on May 30, 2013, MFY joined advocacy groups and low-wage workers in calling on New York State to ensure that all workers, including those who receive tips, receive a real increase in minimum wages and that the state address the backlog in minimum wage and overtime pay complaints from workers.

Workers who report dangerous conditions, unfair labor practices and other workplace problems have few protections. MFY urges the New York State legislature to strengthen laws to protect workplace whistleblowers.

In testimony before the City Council today, MFY showed that credit reports present a barrier to employment for those who most need jobs and do not predict whether an prospective employee will do a good job.

MFY Attorney Anamaria Segura offered testimony to the New York City Council in support of the Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act.

MFY, with six other worker advocacy groups, submitted an amicus brief to the Appellate Division, First Department of the New York Supreme Court, in Bonito v. Avalon Partners (N.Y. County Clerk Index No. 650541/2011), supporting legal rules that would help low-wage workers recover unpaid wages from employers who try to dodge liability.

MFY and co-counsel Abbey Spanier Rodd & Abrams, LLP have filed a lawsuit against First Care of New York in the New York State Supreme Court, Westchester County, for failing to pay their home health aides their legally required wages. Read more here.

On October 4, 2012 dozens of New Yorkers came to MFY after a job placement agency took between $200-$400 from each job seeker, then disappeared, leaving documents with personal information strewn about their office. MFY advised the job seekers of their rights and how to protect themselves from identity theft, and then facilitated an official …