Denver, CO
Anti-Wage-Theft Laws Are Kryptonite to Dishonest Bosses
In January 2023, Denver passed a sweeping anti-wage-theft law to help workers reclaim stolen wages. In the fight to pass Resolution 22-1614, commonly known as the Civil Wage Theft Ordinance, local unions and labor advocacy groups squared off against the Denver Chamber of Commerce and business interests, who cynically claimed the bill’s “unintended consequences” would hurt workers as well as “minority- and women-owned businesses.” However, a recent report from the Labor Division of the Denver Auditor’s Office examining the impact of the Civil Wage Theft Ordinance disproves these claims and highlights the benefit of anti-wage-theft legislation to the working class.
According to Denver’s 2023 Annual Wage Theft Report, last year was the “most impactful in the Denver Labor Office’s history.” Between November 1, 2022, and October 21, 2023, the office helped over thirty-five hundred workers recoup $2 million in unpaid wages, an 85 percent increase from the year prior. What’s more, as this reporting period started before the Civil Wage Theft Ordinance was passed, it does not reflect the full potential of a full year’s worth of wage restitution. The report attributes this success to four ways in which the Civil Wage Theft Ordinance empowered the Denver Labor Office:
Armed with the authority and staffing necessary to help Denver-area workers recover their stolen wages, the Denver Labor Office sees its recent results as only the beginning. “The numbers speak for themselves,” Matthew Fritz-Mauer, executive director of the Denver Labor Office, told Jacobin. “In 2023, we helped about 1,500 more workers and collected almost $1 million more in restitution than in 2022. We understand that this is just a fraction of all the wage theft out there, so we’ll continue to hire, refine our practices, and make it clear that in Denver, workers’ rights matter.”
Not only does this report show the benefit the Civil Wage Ordinance has brought to workers in the Mile High City, but it also offers strong evidence labor groups can use to bolster similar efforts in other states and cities, with the ultimate goal of achieving federal anti-wage-theft legislation.
The Economic Policy Institute estimates that employers steal up to $50 billion in wages from American workers every year, exceeding violent theft and auto robberies combined. When the Department of Labor (DOL) studied wage theft in New York and California, it discovered that stolen wages reduced affected families’ incomes by 37 to 49 percent. This theft pushed fifteen thousand families below the poverty line and another hundred thousand families deeper beneath it.
Unfortunately, the DOL only recouped $3.24 billion in workers’ wages between 2017 and 2022, a pitiful 1.62 percent of the estimated $200 billion stolen over those four years. While many factors contribute to this low restitution rate, the predominant one is that the DOL is restricted from pursuing wage theft under the inadequate avenues offered under the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA limits workers to recovering only the federal minimum wage ($7.25 an hour) as opposed to their contracted wage, does not require employers to provide accurate paystubs, and has low penalties for violating employers that do not discourage repeat offenses. According to the DOL, federal wage theft penalties are so weak that over one-third of offending companies return to wage theft practices. Alternatively, companies hit with civil suites are much more likely to stop stealing wages, as are nearby employers, regardless of their industry. Denver’s Civil Wage Theft Ordinance allows workers to pursue civil suits against thieving employers, a provision other municipalities would be wise to replicate.
National lawmakers have recognized the wage theft problem and tried to remedy it, though their efforts have stalled. In 2019, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act, which identifies and addresses issues with federal enforcement. Murray’s act emphasizes the need for stricter penalties, calling the current remedies “hollow threats” that fail to deter businesses from stealing wages. Unfortunately, the bill has been dormant for half a decade.
While instituting a powerful anti-wage-theft bill at the federal level is the ultimate goal, the current state of national politics poses serious obstacles to its passage. In the meantime, leftist groups and labor unions can focus their efforts on state and local efforts like Denver’s. Approximately 88 percent of all jobs are located in metropolitan statistical areas, i.e., cities.
Not only would city-level laws help workers reclaim lost wages for large numbers of workers at a time, but they could also create a positive ripple effect. Unpaid wages are untaxed, meaning money that should go to local programs and Social Security remains tucked away in employers’ bank accounts. According to a study on wage theft in Washington between 2009 and 2013, wage theft cost the state upward of $64 million in untaxed revenue.
Delivering material gains to the working class is also crucial to building a base of support for pro-labor politics, which is necessary to achieve federal anti-wage-theft legislation. At a time when the American Left is called to urgently offer alternatives to the neoliberal politics of centrist Democrats while stopping workers from drifting towards reactionary Republicans, a national push to bring anti-wage-theft legislation to every city in America is a valiant, actionable, and constructive goal.
There have been many great offensive linemen in Denver Broncos history, so this list is likely going to vary greatly from person to person. In fact, my take might be a little too bold, but I’m sticking with it.
At the top spot, I think Garett Bolles has earned it. Since coming into the league as a first-round pick in 2017, he has grinded through one of the worst periods in Broncos’ history and grown from beleaguered oft-penalized first-round bust into a perennial All-Pro caliber left tackle. Even more, he has stayed a Bronco through his entire career. The rest of my list speaks for itself and is a throwback to Super Bowl greatness.
Here’s where our Mile High Report staff landed on the top five for offensive line:
Scotty Payne: Tom Nalen was the leader of Mike Shanahan’s offensive line, Ryan Clady was a top LT on a Hall of Fame career before injury and Stink was a key member of the Broncos Super Bowl winning OL back in the 90s. I included Bolles and Meinerz since both will be on this list once their successful careers are over with.
Chris Hart: This position group was one of the toughest to come up with a top five. Denver has an incredible history of top-tier offensive lineman. There are several players I left off who were certainly deserving. I posted Tom Nalen as my top guy because he was a stalwart at the pivot for many years for the franchise. We all know what Gary Zimmerman and Mark Schlereth provided on the field and they are both Super Bowl champions. The last two spots go to two recent Broncos, left tackles Garret Bolles and Ryan Clady. Bolles, a decade into his career, continues to play at a high level and Clady was a fantastic blindside protector whose career ended earlier than it should due to injury.
Ian St. Clair: For the first time in Elway’s career, he had a blind-side protector. And Zimmerman is one of the best to ever do it. Same for Nalen, who should be in the HOF. Clady was special. Bishop was the first Broncos offensive lineman in franchise history to get a Pro Bowl invite and provided one of the best in-game quotes ever when he said in Denver’s endzone at old Cleveland Stadium before hiking the ball at the 2-yard line in what would become The Drive, “We got ‘em right right where want ‘em.” And Schlereth helped lock down the left side of the line that was one of the best in league history.
Sadaraine: The top 3 are largely indisputable, other than maybe swapping Schlereth and Zimmerman. Ken Lanier started 178 consecutive games, which is nuts for an OT, and appeared in 3 Super Bowls. Garret Bolles has crafted himself into an all-time great at tackle and may move up the list.
Ross Allen: The Hall-of-Famer Gary Zimmerman was everything you could ever ask for in a left tackle and was a huge reason why John Elway and that 1997 team was so dominant. Schlereth also gets his credit as he was a massive contributor to Denver’s Super Bowl successes. There’s a strong case for Tom Nalen deserving a spot in the Hall of Fame too. And for the past two years I’ve become a huge spouter of Bolles being destined for the Ring of Fame. He’s an incredible talent as has been the cornerstone of this team for a while now. I just hope he gets his Super Bowl.
Joe Mahoney: Top 3 are a no-brainer. Bolles will finish his career with more starts on the OL than any other Bronco. The man he will pass is Ken Lanier. Since stats from Lanier’s era don’t exist we only have starts to go off, but Lanier was an iron man. He started 167 NFL games and 165 were for the Broncos.
There is a bit of variation here, but a general consensus of who should be in the Top 5. I loved the throwback to Keith Bishop who was a big part of the John Elway fourth quarter magic back in the day.
Who gets into your top five offensive lineman list?
The Denver Nuggets are running it back with at least one free agent from last year’s team. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Denver Nuggets have re-signed point guard Tyus Jones.
Free agent guard Tyus Jones has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN. Jones played a reserve role after joining Denver on the buyout market last season, and enters his 12th NBA season as his agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management… pic.twitter.com/OxPTfX8C7l
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2026
Jones played 11 regular season games for Denver last year and got into 3 post-season contests as well. The Nuggets are desperately lacking in point guards who can handle the rock, especially after they decided not to pick up the fourth-year option on fellow point guard Jalen Pickett. Denver liked Jones and his ability to handle on-ball pressure better in the playoffs, and obviously feel there is utility in having him on the 15-man roster for his passing acumen and mistake avoidance despite being a target at just 6 feet tall. They did not draft a point guard, so it’s possible Jones is the first PG off the bench for the Nuggets – but in recent years they’ve relied on players like Bruce Brown to shoulder some of those duties as well even if they’re not pure point guards, so it remains to be seen just how much court time Jones is going to get.
His 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in his career points to his high floor in ball security though, and the Nuggets have proven time and again over the past several years that they can be truly great if they don’t have silly turnovers. Jones comes back to the Mile High looking to help the Nuggets minimize their mistakes so they can maximize their talent.
Welcome back, Tyus!
The Fourth of July weekend is one of the biggest celebrations of the summer, and Denver is delivering a packed lineup of events for every kind of adventurer. Whether you’re looking to watch fireworks light up the Colorado sky, catch a live concert at Red Rocks, enjoy rooftop parties, indulge in seasonal food and drinks or explore the city’s thriving arts and culture scene, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate Independence Day.
Here’s your guide to the best music, food, fireworks, nightlife, arts, and cultural events happening across Denver this Fourth of July weekend.
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Read: Best Rooftops to Watch 4th of July Fireworks + Sip Cocktails in Denver
Read: The Ultimate 4th of July Outdoor Colorado Music Guide
FASHION EVENTS
Denver Fashion Week Fall 2026 Second Model Auditions
Where: TBA
Cost: $10+
The Lowdown:
Following overwhelming demand from aspiring models across Colorado, Denver Fashion Week (DFW) has announced a second round of model auditions for its upcoming Fall/Winter 2026 runway season.
MUSIC EVENTS
Read: The Ultimate 4th of July Outdoor Colorado Music Guide
Gillian Grogan and EMMA ROSE
Where: Skylark Lounge – 140 S. Broadway
Cost: $18+
The Lowdown:
Zeds Dead with Sippy, Baauer, Holly, HYDRAULIX & LUMBERJVCK
Where: Red Rocks Amphitheatre – 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison
Cost: $205+
The Lowdown:
Flobots
Where: Levitt Pavilion Denver – 1380 W Florida Ave
Cost: $0+
The Lowdown:
Don Toliver with SahBabii, SoFaygo, Chase B
Where: Ball Arena – 1000 Chopper Cir
Cost: $105+
The Lowdown:
FOOD EVENTS
Read: Best Rooftops to Watch 4th of July Fireworks + Sip Cocktails in Denver
Dumpling Love: Dim Sum Party
Where: Stir Cooking School Highlands – 3215 Zuni St.
Cost: $120 per person
The Lowdown:
Join the dumpling party and learn how to make pork bao buns, shrimp shumai, pan-fried gyoza, and crab cheese rangoons. All classes include a full bar with beer, wine, and house-curated cocktails for purchase.
Stars, Stripes, and Deck Nights
Where: Woodie Fisher Kitchen & Bar – 1999 Chestnut Pl.
Cost: Free
The Lowdown:
Celebrate America’s 250th with our festive Bomb Pop Drinks, featuring real Bomb Pops and High Noon buckets!
4th of July Rooftop Fiesta at Cimera
Where: The Source Hotel – 3330 Brighton Blvd.
Cost: $60+
The Lowdown:
The experience is an open rooftop gathering featuring live-fire cooking, craft cocktails, and skyline views throughout the evening. Guests will enjoy Peruvian street skewers, duck & chorizo paella, and ceviche prepared live on-site.
Farmers Market Central Park
Where: Central Park – 29th Ave & Roslyn
Cost: Free
The Lowdown:
Local vendors provide Colorado-grown produce, tasty baked goods, specialty meats, gourmet food items and more!
LIFESTYLE EVENTS
Mystic Magnolias; A Southern Gothic Cabaret
Where: Colorado Sake Co – 3559 Larimer St
Cost: $25+
The Lowdown:
Saunter yourself out to The Mystic Magnolias, a Burlesque AND Drag Show with chilling charm and dripping in Southern Gothic atmosphere.
America 250 | Colorado 150 Drone Show presented by Visit Denver
Where: DPAC/Denver Performing Arts Complex – 1400 Curtis St.
Cost: Free
The Lowdown:
Following Sunset Cinema’s showing of National Treasure on July 3rd at Sculpture Park, stay to enjoy the 4th of July Drone Show! This special event will be brought to you by Visit Denver, celebrating American 250 | Colorado 150, including an appearance by Mayor Mike Johnston.
Beat The Bomb Summer Mission: America250 Edition
Where: Beat The Bomb – 3863 Steele St, Unit 1273
Cost: $39+
The Lowdown:
Beat The Bomb announces the limited-time-only Summer Mission: America250 Edition – celebrating America’s 250th with five new games, a collectible beach towel, and a red, white, and blue Paint Blast!
Independence Day Concert with Denver Municipal Band (Cheesman Park)
Where: Cheesman Park – 1900 E. 11th Ave.
Cost: Free
The Lowdown:
Price:Free
Join the Denver Municipal Band’s Concert Band for an Independence Day concert at Cheesman Park Pavilion with special guest Denver District 10 City Councilmember Chris Hinds narrating Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait.
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Whether you’re dancing at a concert, enjoying a garden dinner, cheering on your favorite soccer team or exploring a new exhibition, Denver offers plenty of ways to fill your 4th of July weekend calendar. Gather your friends, support local businesses, and discover something new around the city.
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