Governor Andrew Cuomo recently vetoed critical legislation to combat wage theft – the Securing Wages Earned Against Theft, or SWEAT (A.486/S.2844) – which would have provided workers with legal tools to ensure that their employers will pay them what a court orders. It is estimated that each year workers in New York are unlawfully underpaid by about $1 billion. These violations disproportionately affect female, black, Hispanic and immigrant workers and those with limited educations, according to the New York Daily News.

“Thousands of New Yorkers each year lose their wages to scofflaw employers. Many are unable to recoup those wages because of significant flaws with the current law. SWEAT would close those loopholes,” said Richard Bum, Staff Attorney with the Employment Law Unit at The Legal Aid Society.