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Budget committee amends and advances Worker Justice Fund after hours of testimony from affected workers
Summary
After hours of public testimony, the Budget and Finance Committee amended an ordinance to create a Worker Justice Fund that would pay workers when employers cannot, narrowed eligibility to primarily minimum-wage violations, reduced the redirected OLSE penalty share to 50%, and continued the item one week to Nov. 20 for final language. The fund drew wide support from worker centers and legal aid groups.
Supervisor Hillary Ronan’s proposed Worker Justice Fund, intended to provide timely restitution when employers cannot pay court-ordered wages, moved forward in the San Francisco Budget and Finance Committee on Nov. 13 after extensive public testimony and a committee amendment.
Ronan described the measure as a targeted safety net for low-wage workers whose employers have absconded, closed, or lack assets to satisfy wage judgments. She told the committee she would introduce amendments to narrow eligibility and to phase aspects of the program in. "This is one of the first of its kind in the country," Ronan said in opening remarks.
The Budget and Legislative Analyst (BLA) presented fiscal estimates that shaped the changes. BLA staff said Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) penalty revenues average about $1.4 million a year; the sponsor’s amendment to redirect 50% of those revenues would provide roughly $700,000 annually to the Worker Justice Fund. Based on OLSE case data and the narrower focus on…
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