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Date: 5/25/2021
NORTHAMPTON – During the Northampton City Council’s May 20 meeting, the council approved a resolution against wage theft.
To start the wage theft resolution discussion, At-Large Councilor Bill Dwight said the city’s current laws combat wage theft but the resolution supporting proposed legislation from state Sen. Jo Comerford and state Rep. Lindsey Sabadosa would help support more workers.
“We have done what actions we can that we are allowed under law. We created a law and subsequent policy orders that we can compel contractors who are applying for work for the city of Northampton that they must abide by. The fact is the order that we have has served us okay, but it hasn’t protected service industry workers,” he said.
Dwight added that this resolution helps clearly identify both wage theft and the people most vulnerable.
“There are a myriad of people who are subject to employers who have historically and continue to exploit workers and the most vulnerable people. What makes this appeal to the legislature important is that it quantifies the term wage staff and identifies a culture of criminality that has been condoned historically,” he said.
Councilor Alex Jarret said lower income populations tend to be victims of wage theft and the resolution would help provide education to prevent it along with more resources for the Attorney General’s Office to pursue it legally.
“This issue primarily affects people who are low income, immigrants, or workers with limited English proficiency. The critical part is to give the Attorney General’s Office the resources to do the work and our local law enforcement would be well-versed in these issues in addition to other community resources,” he said. “Getting that information out there and making sure people are aware of their rights is a critical part of this.”
Council President Gina-Louise Sciarra said, if passed, the bill would allow the Attorney General to bring civil wage cases to court.
“Nationwide nearly $1 billion in wages are stolen from workers each year by their employers and less than 1 percent of that money is ever recovered. The bill we are expressing support for helps ensure that lead contractors cannot hire subcontractors that commit wage theft, and it also allows the AG’s office to bring civil wage cases to court,” she said.
The council unanimously approved the first reading of the resolution and suspended council rules to approve the second reading.
During the meeting, the council also approved six reappointments to the Arts Council, Council on Aging, Housing Partnership, and Urban Forestry Commission.