What happened
Workers in the US have the right to the minimum wage, overtime, and a safe workplace, but those rights only mean something if someone enforces them. Latinx workers are among the most likely to see them go unenforced. Many work in agriculture, construction, meatpacking, and domestic work, where wage theft and injuries are common, and many face language barriers, fear of retaliation, or immigration threats when they speak up.
In our article for the journal’s Latinx labor studies dossier, Shannon Gleeson and I look at how enforcement works on the ground, where it breaks down, and what workers, worker centers, and advocates have built to fill the gaps.
Thanks to Shannon, to Chris Zepeda-Millán for editing the dossier, and to Paul Ortiz for his feedback on the piece.