Wage Theft Support

Standing With Workers. Defending Earned Wages.

Centro Laboral de Graton’s Wage Theft Program confronts the wage theft epidemic that disproportionately impacts low-wage workers and immigrant communities across Sonoma County. Workers in contingent labor sectors—such as construction, landscaping, and house cleaning—are especially vulnerable to unpaid wages, denied overtime, and misclassification. Our program exists to make sure workers are paid what they are owed and treated with dignity and respect.

What Is Wage Theft?

Wage theft occurs when employers do not pay workers the full wages they have legally earned. This can include:

• Unpaid or underpaid wages

• Denied overtime or minimum wage violations

• Not being paid for all hours worked

• Illegal deductions from pay

• Misclassification as an independent contractor

• Retaliation for asserting workplace rights

For many workers, especially immigrants and day laborers, wage theft can mean choosing between rent, food, and basic necessities.

Our Approach

Our Wage Theft Program is rooted in active worker engagement and participation. We believe the most effective solutions are led by workers themselves.

Through this program, The Graton Day Labor Center:

• Provides education and know-your-rights trainings so workers understand their legal protections

• Offers one-on-one support to document wage theft cases

• Assists workers in filing wage claims with the appropriate agencies

• Accompanies workers through the claim and recovery process

• Builds collective power through worker leadership and peer support

We meet workers where they are—linguistically, culturally, and socially—to ensure access to justice is real, not just theoretical.

Worker-Led and Community-Based

This initiative is driven by the lived experiences of workers. Program participants are not just clients—they are leaders, educators, and advocates. By centering worker voices, we strengthen accountability and create long-term change across industries.

Our work also includes community outreach and collaboration with legal partners, advocates, and local institutions to address systemic wage theft throughout Sonoma County.

Who We Serve

• Day laborers

• Domestic workers and house cleaners

• Construction and landscaping workers

• Immigrant and undocumented workers

• Low-wage workers facing exploitation or retaliation

All services are provided with care, confidentiality, and respect.

Get Help or Get Involved

If you or someone you know has experienced wage theft, you are not alone.

Contact Centro Laboral de Graton to:

• Report unpaid wages

• Get help filing a claim

• Learn your workplace rights

• Support worker-led organizing

Together, we can hold employers accountable and ensure workers receive the wages they have earned.

If you are in need of some assistance with a wage theft claim, fill out a contact form or call us at 707-829-1864.