Further reading of
the article explains that the employers lied to employees, forced them to take
separate paychecks to avoid paying over-time, and refused to pay them for all
of their time at work.  And while this
company has been forced to pay for their crimes, most similar factories are
banking on the fact that while all workers have rights on the job, most
undocumented immigrants are too scared to speak up.  Employers know that it’s a game of chance and
they may end saving more on labor costs in the long run, even if they are
caught and receive a fine.

This recent court
case shows us that with hard work, we can hold companies accountable for their
exploitative ways. And we, as a labor rights movement, need to start ensuring
that all workers are protected and covered by the law. STITCH believes that one
of the best ways to do this is to provide training to immigrant workers about
their rights and to support the worker center and labor movement.  One of the main reasons that immigrant
workers are working for less money than U.S. citizens is because they do
not know that they have a right to a minimum wage.  If immigrant workers are able to exercise
their rights at work and there is less fear on the factory floor, all workers
will benefit by seeing the minimum wage become the true minimum it once was.

Finally, true immigration reform would mean that all
workers could stand together and fight exploitation.