Portland committee advances drafting of wage-theft ordinance focused on city contracts and grants

The Labor and Workforce Development Committee of the Portland City Council on Nov. 13 continued work on a draft wage-theft ordinance aimed at preventing wage and hour violations by contractors and recipients of city funding. Chair Councilor Loretta Smith opened the meeting, and the committee approved prior minutes from Aug. 14–Sept. 25, 2025, by unanimous consent.

Why it matters: Witnesses and council members said wage theft reduces local economic return, harms workers and erodes trust in publicly funded projects. Labor and caregiving advocates told the committee that construction, caregiving and certain healthcare contracts are frequent sites of misclassification, unpaid overtime, fringe-benefit fraud and other wage-and-hour violations.

Labor leaders urged preemptive tools and stronger procurement standards. Travis Simmons of the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters told the committee that Portland Maps, the city’s permitting and parcel database, could be adapted to make it easier to identify responsible contractors and projects before violations occur. "By integrating permitting tools... we would give agencies, inspectors, and workers the ability to see who's responsible for what work before the problem arises, not after," Simmons said.

Lauren Bowling, speaking for Ironworkers…