Houston City Council Passes Historic Wage Theft Ordinance
Today, Wednesday, November 20th, 2013, Houston City Council made history passing the first municipal ordinance cracking down on wage theft in Texas and only the second in a major metropolis in the U.S. South. The measure passed unanimously.
In passing the Wage Theft Ordinance, Council sends a clear message that intentionally cheating workers of their pay - especially under city contracts - will not be tolerated in Houston.
The ordinance establishes a process housed in the Office of the Inspector General through which employees can bring wage claims forward. Companies with a documented record of wage theft - either final adjudication from a court of competent jurisdiction or a criminal conviction - will be included in a publicly listed database on the City’s website and will be ineligible for city contracts or sub-contracts. Additionally, any company with a criminal conviction of wage theft will be ineligible to receive occupational permits and licenses. [node:read-more:link]