Retail worker Carolina Ferreyra led her co-workers through the process of filing their claims for the wage theft settlement.

On December 20, over 100 current and former retail employees of Mystique Boutique in New York City received back wages through a $950,000 wage theft settlement obtained by the New York State Office of the Attorney General which investigated workers’ claims of non-payment of minimum wage and overtime. The settlement includes funds for restitution as well as independent monitoring for ongoing compliance with wage and hour laws.

Workers brought their claims to the New York State Attorney General through a campaign to clean up illegal labor practices in retail chains initiated by the Retail Action Project (RAP), working in partnership with the RWDSU. RAP is a membership organization of retail workers dedicated to improving workplace standards in the industry.

Carolina Ferreyra, a former Mystique Boutique employee of two years, led her co-workers through the process of filing their claims. She explained, “Mystique thought they could get away with violating the law because many of us are young immigrants. But we came together and exercised our right to fair and legal wages. My days of working 60-70 hours a week with no overtime, raises, or respect are over, and today I’m thrilled to be finally getting back what I’ve earned.”

Phil Andrews, Director of the Retail Organizing Project at the RWDSU, added, “SoHo is an important part of the city’s retail economy. When retailers like Mystique pay below minimum wage, they hurt standards for all retail workers.”