A combined $285,000 payout that The Legal Aid Society secured for 23 clients – former employees of a Long Island gas station network – who for years were cheated out their wages, forced to work extremely long hours, and suffered other unlawful work conditions, was recently reported on by the New York Daily News. The workers came to LAS through the Nepali worker center Adhikaar, which collaborated with the lawyers to ensure that the workers received some justice. LAS recently distributed checks for most of the payout to its clients at a meeting at Adhikaar.

“Keshtgar (the gas station owner) represents the epitome of scofflaw employers who prioritize their own financial gain over the workers who enrich them. It has taken years of effort to obtain even as much as we have through the bankruptcy process, and Keshtgar is continuing to live an expensive lifestyle without paying the judgment he owes,” said Richard Blum, Staff Attorney with the Employment Law Unit at The Legal Aid Society.

Learn more about The Legal Aid Society’s work to ensure all New Yorkers can earn a living wage and participate in the economy on equal footing.