Work-bites, Joe Maniscalco, February 9, 2026

Fed up New York City home care workers ripped off to the tune of more than $25 million called on state Labor Department employees today to “defy” Governor Kathy Hochul and properly enforce existing labor law mandating restitution for wage theft victims.

“We know there are good workers in there,” Council Member Christopher Marte [D-1st District] told more than 100 home care workers rallying outside the DOL’s offices at 55 Hanson Place in Brooklyn on Thursday morning. “We’re asking you to defy Governor Kathy Hochul’s stoppage of enforcing the law. Just do it for the good of people—do it for the good of New Yorkers—do it for the future of our city.”

Before leaving office last year, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander identified American Business Institute [ABI] and Royal Care as two of the worst sweatshop bosses in the city fleecing home care attendants working 24-hour shifts more than $25 million between 2020 and 2022 alone.

In 2023, the New York State Department of Labor informed home care worker Dellanira Soto that she was owed more than $330,000. Soto spent five years working round-the-clock shifts for Royal Care while only being paid for roughly half the time she worked. Home care workers like Soto can claim full pay for the 24-hour shifts they work if they do not get at least five uninterrupted hours of sleep.

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