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Local union representative urges Paramount to study subcontractor transparency ordinance
Summary
Ray Lawson, speaking for local carpenters, urged the council to explore a subcontractor transparency ordinance that would require contractors to disclose citations for cash pay, worker misclassification and tax fraud; he cited ICE enforcement risks and examples from nearby cities.
During public comment on June 23, Ray Lawson spoke for the carpenters and urged the City Council to consider a subcontractor transparency ordinance that would require contractors performing work in Paramount to disclose prior citations or convictions for cash pay, worker‑misclassification or tax‑related violations.
Lawson said such an ordinance would allow the city and residents to better identify contractors with histories of illegal cash payments and reliance on labor brokers: "We would like to see a transparency ordinance in the city of Paramount," he told the council, explaining the document would reveal whether contractors have been cited for cash pay, worker misclassification or tax fraud. Lawson cited examples of similar ordinances in Long Beach and Carson and asked the council to discuss the matter with the city manager.
Lawson also linked the pay practices he described to federal immigration enforcement activity on some job sites; the council did not take action on the item but thanked him for raising the issue.
Why it matters: A subcontractor transparency ordinance could affect procurement checks, developer requirements and enforcement posture around labor standards; the transcript contains an inconsistency in the union label (carpenters vs Farmers Union) that staff or the speaker might clarify in subsequent follow‑up.
(Attribution: Ray Lawson, public commenter.)
