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City Honors May Day and Celebrates Progress in Protecting the Rights of Workers

May 1, 2024

NEW YORK, NY – Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga and Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro today celebrated May Day by hosting a media roundtable on the City’s newly expanded Workers’ Bill of Rights, a multilingual and comprehensive guide to rights in the workplace in New York City. Since the start of the Adams Administration, DCWP has secured more than $38 million in restitution for nearly 30,000 workers across all of the worker protection laws DCWP enforces, like the Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, the Fair Workweek Law, and the Freelance Isn’t Free Act.

“Every day, working-class people help move this city forward, and every day, our administration is there to protect those working-class New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Our administration is committed to protecting workers’ rights and holding bad actors accountable. I applaud the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection for its work securing more than $38 million in restitution for nearly 30,000 workers in the last two years. This means more money going back into the pockets of hard-working New Yorkers and less impunity for employers who violate the law. Together, we are sending a clear message that New York City will always be a place for working-class people to thrive with the dignity and respect they deserve.”  

“This May Day, we’re celebrating the progress we’ve made together as a city over the last few years to help working New Yorkers realize their rights and create more just workplaces,” said DCWP Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga. “Making sure that workers are treated fairly is a constant effort and we are proud to support them. Thank you to Mayor Adams for prioritizing the needs of working New Yorkers and their families, and to Commissioner Castro for partnering with us to help educate our neighbors, especially those who are new to our country and city, about their worker rights.”

“We are excited to partner with DCWP to share their resources, especially in honor of May Day, at this immigrant media roundtable,” said MOIA Commissioner Manuel Castro. “It is important to center immigrants, who are often the most vulnerable to workplace violations, in these conversations. MOIA’s media roundtables are instrumental in connecting local immigrant reporters to city agencies and ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, have awareness and access of city services.”

In April, Mayor Adams announced the first annual increase in the Minimum Pay Rate for NYC’s app-based restaurant delivery workers, who now make at least $19.56 per hour before tips. Across the workforce, delivery workers are making $16.7 million more per week compared to before the pay rate took effect – totaling an additional $847.6 million annually.

Since 2014, across all of the worker protection laws DCWP enforces, the city has closed more than 5,900 investigations, and secured more than $59 million in restitution and civil penalties for more than 74,000 workers. Many of DCWP’s workplace investigations cover more than one law.

  •  Under the Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, DCWP has closed more than 2,700 investigations, securing more than $21.6 million in restitution for almost 68,000 workers. In recent years, DCWP has had several major settlements with companies to resolve violations of the Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law and secure restitution for workers, including Consolidated Edison and Amazon. In April, DCWP celebrated the 10 year anniverary of the Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law, which now offers more than 3.8 million employees in NYC the right to take paid time off to care for themselves and their families.
  •  Under the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, DCWP has helped over 770 freelance workers receive more than $2.6 million in money owed to them. In July 2023, Mayor Adams announced a settlement with L’Officiel USA, securing $275,000 for more than 40 freelancers who were not fully paid by L’Officiel for services performed.

Workers and employers can visit nyc.gov/workers or call 311 (212-NEW-YORK outside New York City) for more information about the laws that DCWP enforces or to file a complaint. Complaints can be filed anonymously. It is illegal for employers to retaliate against employees for filing complaints.

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)—formerly the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)—protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses more than 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection, licensing, and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources and, by helping to resolve complaints, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. Through its community outreach and the work of its offices of Financial Empowerment and Labor Policy & Standards, DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to be educated consumers and to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at nyc.gov/dcwp or on its social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

 

Media Contacts:
Michael Lanza / Stephany Vasquez Sanchez
Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
(212) 436-0042
press@dcwp.nyc.gov