October 26, 2011. Sun Sentinel.
A coalition of Palm Beach County religious congregations is reviving the push for a local “wage theft” law aimed at helping workers cheated out of pay.
After more than a year of delays sought by business leaders, the group called People Engaged in Active Community Efforts, or PEACE, wants the County Commission in December to consider supporting a wage theft law.
Low-income workers — such as a day laborer who gets paid less than promised or a hotel cleanup crew shortchanged after an extra shift — can’t afford more delays in wage theft protections, according to PEACE.
The wage theft measure, modeled after a Miami-Dade County rule, would establish a local process to help workers recover overdue pay without going to court or waiting for state and federal investigations.
Business leaders oppose the proposal, calling it additional regulation.
Last summer, business leaders persuaded the County Commission to delay the issue until March 2012 to allow the Legal Aid Society to try to play a bigger role in resolving wage disputes.
While the proposed Palm Beach County wage theft rule sat on the shelf, business industry lobbyists have pushed for a state law aimed at stopping local governments from enacting wage theft laws.
Tired of waiting, PEACE representatives on Wednesday announced that they are pushing for the County Commission to take up the wage theft law proposal in December.
PEACE is also calling for local legislators to oppose the state law pushed by the business lobbying group Florida Retail Federation.
In addition, PEACE plans to try to persuade two large retailers —Macy’s and Bealls — not to oppose wage theft laws. Both stores support the Florida Retail Federation and PEACE members plan to present store managers stacks of signed cards that say, “STOP WAGE THEFT.”
“The Florida Retail Federation is a big and powerful lobbying group … It’s not going to be an easy fight,” said the Rev. Paul Rasmus, co-president of PEACE.
Business leaders contend that instead of creating a local wage theft law, the county should rely on existing state and federal law as well as the work of the Legal Aid Society.
“Why create a new bureaucracy … in these tough economic times?” said Michael Jones, president and CEO of the Economic Council of Palm Beach County.
