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Standing up for District Workers

A study by the Economic Policy Institute found that low-wage workers lose an average of $64 per week—or more than $3,300 per year—when employers refuse to pay employees what they are rightfully owed. This is called “wage theft” and it is illegal in the District of Columbia.

In instances where employers take advantage of their workers, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) can take legal action to hold them accountable. Last week, we announced our largest wage theft win to date. OAG secured a settlement with Airway Sheet Metal Co. that will provide more than $100,000 in unpaid wages to 40 workers. Our investigation found evidence that, from 2015 to 2017, Airway failed to properly pay its workers overtime rates and failed to provide them with any paid sick leave, as required by District law. 

Last year, OAG stepped up wage theft enforcement after working with the D.C. Council on legislation granting the agency independent authority to investigate and bring these cases. To date, OAG has obtained over $250,000 in judgments and settlements against businesses that have stolen wages from District workers.

If you believe your rights have been violated by your employer, report it to OAG at (202) 442-9854 or submit a complaint to the Department of Employment Services. Workers can also learn about their rights to fair wages, overtime pay, and sick leave with our free resources.

OAG will continue to hold employers accountable when they fail to pay workers what they have rightfully earned.

Sincerely,
Karl A. Racine
Attorney General

Protecting District Seniors from Predatory Home Contractors

OAG has secured a $224,000 judgment against Xquisite Basements & Kitchens—a local home contractor—for illegal, shoddy construction and wage theft. In 2018, OAG filed a lawsuit against Xquisite for duping seniors and others into paying for lower-quality home repairs than promised, opening unauthorized credit lines for consumers and making charges without their permission, and illegally withholding wages from employees. The company must now refund consumers, many of who are seniors, pay back wages to workers, and stop providing home improvement services in the District for 10 years. Learn more.

Combating Illegal Robocalls

5.5 billion. That’s how many robocalls (a call that uses an automated dialer to deliver a pre-recorded message) were made to U.S. households in March 2019 alone. Robocallers are increasingly using a technique called “neighborhood spoofing,” mimicking a recipient’s area code to increase the likelihood they will answer the phone. AG Racine and a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general are urging the Federal Communications Commission to crack down on these automated calls. If you are looking to reduce the number of robocalls you receive, here are 5 tips that can help.

Generating National Support for a Safe and Transparent Legal Marijuana Industry

Although 33 states and several U.S. territories have legalized medical marijuana, current federal law prevents banks from providing services to these state-regulated businesses. Without access to banks, legal marijuana businesses are forced to operate solely in cash, which creates a hotbed for money laundering, tax evasion, and theft. This week, AG Racine led a bipartisan coalition of 38 state Attorneys General in urging Congress to pass the SAFE Banking Act, to allow these businesses to access the US banking system. As AG Racine wrote in The Hill, passage of this legislation would increase transparency in the flourishing legal marijuana industry in the District and across the country, while deterring the criminal activity that has developed in the absence of supervision. Learn how this legislation will bring this industry out of the shadows and make our communities safer.

OAG's Seema Gajwani Recognized with Prestigious Fellowship for Restorative Justice Work

Last week, the Obama Foundation announced its second-ever class of Fellows, a group of 20 civic innovators from around the world who are working to address society’s most pressing problems. Among the select class is OAG’s Seema Gajwani, who helped launch OAG’s in-house restorative justice program, a public safety program that addresses the root problems of crime and conflict. Restorative justice uses mediation to empower victims to express how they were affected by crime and requires offenders to accept responsibility and work to repair the harm they cause. Learn more about restorative justice and how this elite two-year fellowship will help amplify this work.

High School Summer Leadership Opportunity

OAG is accepting applications for the inaugural class of its 2019 High School Leadership Program. The program will include a two-week summer internship program (Monday, July 15, 2019 through Friday, July 26, 2019 from 10am to 4pm) as well as opportunities throughout the 2019 – 2020 school year to engage with OAG and the Attorney General in order to provide meaningful input on issues such as decreasing youth violence and civil rights concerns. All District high school students—DCPS, public charter and private—are welcome to apply for this competitive program.

Join OAG at the Funk Parade on May 11

Join OAG at the 6th Annual Funk Parade, a one-of-a-kind fair, parade, and music festival, celebrating Washington DC's vibrant music, arts, and U Street neighborhood. OAG will be partnering with ANC1B and you can find our table at 9th and V St. NW. Click here for more information about the Funk Parade and Music Festival.