READOUT: Acting Secretary Su holds roundtable with Arriba Las Vegas Workers Center

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su joined members and leaders of Arriba Las Vegas Workers Center on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, for a roundtable discussion on protections for immigrant workers and their enforcement. The event included a discussion on the department’s process for supporting worker requests for prosecutorial discretion and highlighted examples of successful Department of Labor enforcement efforts. 

The roundtable fell on the one-year anniversary of the department obtaining a consent judgment in federal court requiring Unforgettable Coatings, a Las Vegas paint and specialty coatings contractor who intimidated workers, to pay $3.6 million to 593 employees in four states. Arriba Las Vegas Workers Center assisted the department in contacting workers during that investigation.

Arriba is a recipient of a 2023 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These grants are used to support education and training to help workers and employers recognize serious workplace hazards, employ injury prevention and understand workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under federal law.

“I want to recognize the important work each of you and Arriba Las Vegas as an organization does. I know that many of you are leaders in your community,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “I also congratulate you on your Susan Harwood grant, which is awarded by the Department of Labor to help community organizations promote occupational health and safety at work.” 

“It is a priority for me and my department that all workers can exercise their rights. The Department of Labor must also do everything within our power to enforce labor laws.” Acting Secretary Su added. “Enforcing labor laws is a tool not only to combat wage theft and protect workers, but also to support them in increasing their power. Let's work together to achieve it.”

Learn more about the U.S. Department of Labor’s investigation of Unforgettable Coatings Inc.