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L.A. County moves to crack down on wage theft and pilot ‘Made in L.A.’ procurement
Summary
The Board approved two linked motions directing the county to build a proactive co-enforcement model to recover stolen wages and to pilot buying from local manufacturers that pay living wages. Supporters said the measures protect workers and reward responsible employers; business groups urged stakeholder engagement.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on May 5 approved measures to bolster enforcement of wage-and-hour laws and to test using county purchasing to favor local manufacturers that pay living wages.
Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who authored both motions, said the county will use a “co-enforcement” model that partners with trusted worker centers and community organizations, target the worst violators, and create a public dashboard showing only fully adjudicated cases. “L.A. County is the wage-theft capital in the nation,” Mitchell said, arguing enforcement and procurement changes will help workers and responsible employers alike.
Why it matters: Supporters — including labor groups, worker centers and small manufacturers — told the board that wage theft costs low-wage Angelenos millions weekly and that steady, local demand can help keep manufacturing jobs in the county. Many public commenters urged the board to move quickly to restore wages to impacted workers and to use county purchasing power to support local businesses that meet high labor standards.
What the board approved: The motions direct the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) to strengthen proactive investigations and develop the dashboard (displaying adjudicated outcomes only) and instruct Internal Services and Economic Opportunity offices to design a pilot that buys a portion of county goods from local manufacturers that pay living wages and provide benefits.
On privacy and fairness: Rafael Carbajal of DCBA told the board that investigations already protect employees’ information and that business details are disclosed only after settlement or adjudication. “When it comes to the businesses, we don't disclose any information relative to the business during the investigation,” he said. He also said co-enforcement models used in other jurisdictions have not produced unfair outcomes for law-abiding businesses.
Business concerns, and the board response: Representatives of business groups and some small businesses asked for more engagement, cautioned about unintended burdens on small firms and urged the board to treat the proposed dashboard as a reportback rather than a directive. Supervisors said the motions include outreach and an emphasis on supporting businesses that comply with the law: “We must also support the employers providing high-quality jobs,” Solis said.
What’s next: Staff will return with work plans and implementation details. The board approved the measures on May 5 (Item 25 and Item 26).
