Wage Protection

    Female barista worker at a coffee shop
    Female barista worker at a coffee shop
    Female barista worker at a coffee shop

    Wage Protection

Our Focus

The Wage Protection Program aims to help build a just economy where all workers are empowered to win fair wages and dignified workplaces through legal representation and advocacy.

We believe that building worker power is fundamental to achieving our mission. As lawyers, we strive to ground our legal advocacy in community-led efforts because we know that without the strength and backing of organized and informed workers, legal gains will not last.For this reason, we often work in partnership with worker centers and other community-based organizations. Our commitment to our clients includes not just legal representation but ensuring that they are educated and empowered through the process. We strive to center and prioritize the most marginalized workers in predominately low-wage industries, because an economy that works for them will help all workers.

We believe that the fight for dignified workplaces is about more than just the hourly wage a worker receives, and therefore our advocacy encompasses:

  • the right to a fair schedule and breaks;
  • the ability to receive sick pay;
  • a safe workplace;
  • and the enforcement of these rights without fear of retaliation.

Moreover, a just economy is one in which people are able to survive and thrive even when they are without a job. This informs our commitment to making the unemployment insurance system more accessible and inclusive.

Highlights of Our Work

Hundreds of Advocates Rallied at the State Capitol to Support Unemployment Insurance for Undocumented Workers

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LAAW Client Maria Arroyo Speaks with CBS News About the Real-World Impact of Lengthy Delays in the Labor Commissioner’s Wage Claim Process

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Logos of TUWU and LAAW

California Orders Prominent Burger King Franchise Owners to Pay Workers $2.2 Million in Stolen Wages and Penalties

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Partners

Quick Escape