[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: Anti-wage theft legislation

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Jones, Suzanne

Dear All--


With apologies for the late notice, below is background information from Rep. Jonathan Singer about a bill he intends to sponsor--the Income Protection Act--to help prevent wage theft from low and middle income workers. It is also the top legislative priority
 of the Colorado Immigration Rights Coalition.


While the details of this legislation are still being negotiated, I wanted Council members to be aware of this issue as we discuss our legislative agenda tonight.  In addition, if folks are amenable, we might want to add language to page 22 of our legislative
 agenda at the end of the Human Services/Human Rights section along the lines of:


"Wage theft is a common problem across Colorado in which an employee is denied the wages that they earned through their labor. It takes various forms and the statutes currently in place at the state level do not provide adequate remedies or protections
 for these workers in our state. Victims of wage theft are often lower-income and each incident of wage theft puts the individual and family at risk of losing their housing or not having access to food and other necessities of daily life. The City supports
 legislation at the state level (e.g., the Income Protection Act by Singer-Ulibarrri) to counter wage-theft by increasing administrative remedies that provide more access to justice for workers trying to secure wages that they earned."







Begin forwarded message:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jonathan Singer 
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Subject: Boulder City Council meeting this evening
To: Erika Blum <erika.blum2 at gmail.com>,
JJonesS at bouldercolorado.gov
Cc: Justin Valas <justin at coloradoimmigrant.org>, Bob & Kathleen Norris <nrkathleen at qwest.net>


All,


The negotiations with the opposition has been going well, but we can't take anything for granted. 
Attached is a fact sheet defining the problems facing us nationwide. 


The Income Protection Act (Singer-Ulibarri) protects low and middle income workers by making sure people are paid what they are promised. It also protects honest employers from being undercut by unethical bosses that do not pay their workers.


Problem:  Thousands of Coloradans are not paid a full paycheck from their boss, and have little recourse to recover their wages.  
(ex. A hotel worker is promised $1,000 a month and only gets $500 at the end of the month.  Private attorneys are reluctant to take up these cases, and the Colorado Dept of Labor does not have the staff or authority to resolve these cases).




This year's bill will at the very least give the CO Dept. of Labor the tools to
mediate, investigate and adjudicate wage claims without having to go to court. 
I will send a fact sheet on the bill we proposed last year.  This year's bill will likely be paired down.


Best,
Jonathan



State Representative
JONATHAN SINGER
2201 14th Avenue, #5-307
Longmont, CO 80501
Home: 303-875-4727
Capitol: 303-866-2780
E-mail: jonathan.singer.house at state.co.us
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