NY Boutique Boss Arrested, Faces 4 Years in Jail for Stealing Wages

by Mischa Gaus | February 25, 2010

Published on Labor Notes (http://www.labornotes.org)

Months of organizing uncovered sub-minimum wages at a New York boutique chain—and this February rally drew attention to it. The chain's owner was arrested Tuesday, accused of shorting workers $1.5 million.

Wage-thieving employers, beware: the owner of a New York boutique chain accused of shorting workers by $1.5 million was taken away in handcuffs Tuesday.

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo alleges the owner, David Cohen, not only paid some workers less than $5 an hour and ignored overtime rules as workers clocked 60-hour weeks—but also offered a worker $50,000 to inform on organizing in the stores.

Click here for the full labor notes article (with pictures).