##VIDEO ID:hlkjC9Em3sU## H  CHANNEL 964 ATTENDANTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2023. MODIFYING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF OPEN MEETING LAW AND RELIEVING PUBLIC BODIES OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT THAT PUBLIC BODIES CONDUCT ITS MEETING AT PUBLIC PLACE THAT IS OPEN AND PHYSICALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. THIS CITY COUNCIL HEARING IS NOT CONDUCTING THIS REMOTELY ALTHOUGH WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO BE IN PERSON. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT THE COMMITTEE APOLOGIES FOR THAT EVERYBODY. AS I WAS READING I WAS LIKE THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.  WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT CHICAGO AT BOSTON DOT GOV AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MEGAN CAVANAUGH AT MEG AND DOT K VA AND HGH AT BOSTON DOT GOV FOR THE LINK IN YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. YOU MAY ALSO TESTIFY IN PERSON AT ONE OF THESE PODIUMS HERE IN THE CHAMBER.  TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET 1201. ORDINANCE PREVENTING WAGE THEFT IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILORS AND BEN WEBER. JULIA MEJIA AND ERIC PEPEN AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON AUGUST SEVEN, 2024. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE.  COUNCILOR PEPEN COUNCILOR FLYNN . COUNCIL MEMBER HERE. COUNCILOR WEBER AND COUNCILOR MURPHY. I'LL NOW PASS IT TO THE LEAD SPONSOR AND CO-SPONSORS FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS AND THEN GO THROUGH OPENING REMARKS FOR MY OTHER COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL. FOR NOW I'LL PASS IT OVER TO COUNCILOR WEBER FOR HIS OPENING STATEMENT. THANK YOU, CHAIR. I FIRST I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE FORMER MAYOR MARTY WALSH FOR SIGNING AN EXECUTIVE ORDER IN 2014 ON WAGE THEFT AND THE FOLLOW UP WORK DONE BY FORMER COUNCILOR RICARDO ARROYO AND COUNCILOR JULIAN HERE ON WAGE THEFT. YOU KNOW, AS DEFINITELY INFORMED WHAT WE'RE WE'RE DOING TODAY AS THE CHAIR STATED COUNCILORS MEJIA AND PEPEN AND I FILED THIS ORDINANCE IN AUGUST AND I'M GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE HERE AND THE PANELISTS FOR GATHERING HERE.  THE IDEA OF OF OF FORMER MAYOR MARTY WALSH'S EXECUTIVE ORDER AND THIS ORDINANCE IS TO PREVENT CITY CONTRACTS AND LICENSES FROM BEING AWARDED TO CONTRACTORS AND EMPLOYERS WHO VIOLATE OUR WAGE LAWS AND THAT DOING THIS WILL ACCOMPLISH REALLY TWO GOALS ONE WILL MAKE SURE THAT OUR WORKERS HERE IN BOSTON ARE BEING PAID PROPERLY FOR THEIR WORK AND TO WE WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY SOME ROLE IN MAKING SURE THAT WORK THAT EMPLOYERS WHO DO NOT PAY WORKERS ACCORDING TO THE LAW DON'T BENEFIT FROM THAT BY BEING ABLE TO BE THE LOW BIDDER ON CONTRACTS OR BY BE ABLE TO UNDERMINE HONEST YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES IS HONEST EMPLOYERS, HONEST RESTAURANTS AND WE MAKE SURE THAT WE LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND DO ALL WE CAN TO STOP THAT. I CIRCULATED A LETTER OR TWO TO THE PANELISTS AND EVERYONE ELSE FROM FROM MARCH SEVEN, 2024 THAT WAS ISSUED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE AND WORKER PROTECTION AND I BELIEVE THIS KIND OF LETTER WAS SENT TO A RESTAURANT IN BOSTON FOR HAVING BEEN FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED THE WAGE LAWS AND PAID ITS WORKERS, YOU KNOW, IN ARREARS AND SORT OF A WARNING THAT YOU KNOW, WE WE SEE WHO YOU ARE AND PLEASE YOU KNOW,  MAKE SURE YOU CORRECT YOUR PRACTICES GOING FORWARD. I THINK THERE HAS BEEN A FEW OTHER LETTERS BUT GOING BACK TEN YEARS I DON'T THINK WE'VE SUSPENDED ANYONE'S LICENSE OR TERMINATED A CONTRACT AND I THINK AN ORDINANCE IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SET UP THE PROPER MECHANISMS SO THAT WHEN WHEN EMPLOYERS ARE VIOLATING THE LAW THAT THEY'RE NOT THEIR LICENSES AREN'T BEING RENEWED AND THEY'RE NOT BEING AWARDED IN CONTRACTS AND THE WORK ALREADY DONE BY THE OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE OR WORKER PROTECTION. I THINK YOU'LL HEAR THEY DID AN AUDIT AND THEY FOUND SOMETHING OVER 30% OF OF OF THE CONTRACTORS IN LICENSES HAVE WAGE LAW VIOLATIONS ON THEIR RECORD WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND SO THANKS TO THEIR WORK HIGHLIGHTED HOW WE NEED TO TRY TO TIGHTEN THIS UP AND FIGURE OUT YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN SUPPORT WORKERS AND HONEST EMPLOYERS HERE IN BOSTON. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT AND THANKS TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES FOR COMING OUT TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR WEBER, COUNCILOR MEJIA AND THEN COUNCILOR PEPPER.  THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR WEBER FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN THIS SPACE. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A LAWYER AND SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS LABOR LAW DRIVING THIS WORK SO REALLY GRATEFUL TO YOUR LEADERSHIP.  I THINK THAT FOR ME AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BRING THE PERSPECTIVE OF BEING, YOU KNOW, AN IMMIGRANT AND SOMEONE WHO'S UNDOCUMENTED AND HOW OFTENTIMES PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING THE MOST IMPACTED OR THOSE WHO HAVE THE LEAST VOICE AND UNDERSTAND THE LAW.  AND SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION HERE AS THE CITY. I ALSO THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO YOU KNOW I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY FOLKS WHO ARE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE RESTAURANTS, THERE ARE HOSPITALS, THERE ARE OTHER FOLKS WHO ARE EMPLOYING PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT WERE NOT CONTRACTING WITH AND I KNOW WE CAN'T OVERSEE THAT PIECE OF THE WORK BUT I THINK THAT THERE IS A ROLE THAT THE CITY CAN PLAY WITH SOME OVERSIGHT.  AND I'D LOVE TO EXPLORE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND I THINK IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE BEING SUPER MINDFUL WE WE DO HAVE SOME FOLKS WHO ARE HERE TO SPEAK BASED ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL LIVED EXPERIENCE AND WILL I'LL BE TRANSLATING ON BEHALF OF COUNCILOR WEBER FOR JOIN THAT TESTIMONY BEARING WHAT IS HIS OPINION. YOU'RE SO GOOD. I'M GLAD YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GET SO IMPACTED UP RECOGNIZES JULIETTE HAMILTON IN LAW OR SOMEBODY SORT OF GIVES ONLY ME GRANT IS NOT AN IMPACT BAILEY'S ON US OUTSIDE OR ON IN OR NOT IN THE LANE AQUINAS YOU ARE DON'T YOU KNOW JUST HAVING PROCTOR HAVE A MONOPOLY ON IRAQI CRIMINAL CODE IF THEY PROCESS OKAY, WELL SO WHAT I LOOK FOR THE TOP OF THE HILL ALONE PLAY APPLES HE CAN OR SAMUEL WILL SADDLE PAULA ON OKAY THEY WILL LAMENT THAT GETTING IT FOR THEM SO TAMAKI BUT THEY'RE SO EAGER TO OPEN IT UP AND SEE ON THE SINK WENT BACK TO MOTOROLA HANDLE OPENING THANK YOU COUNCILOR HERE, COUNCILOR PEPEN THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND I MEAN BOTH MY COLLEAGUES STARTED OFF WITH SUCH AMAZING REMARKS OF THEN TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HOLDING THOSE EMPLOYERS ACCOUNTABLE AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR WORKERS ARE GETTING PAID AS SOMEONE THAT REPRESENTS DISTRICT FIVE THINK THERE'S SO MANY CITY WORKERS THAT LIVE IN MY DISTRICT THAT DEPEND ON THAT PAYCHECK ON THEIR BACK YOU KNOW, THAT WEEK TO WEEK PAYCHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO PAY THEIR RENT, THEIR BILLS. AND I IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, ESPECIALLY IN A CITY WHERE THE COST OF LIVING IS CONTINUOUS INCREASING AND IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO SEE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND I'M COUNCILOR MEJIA FOR EXAMPLE, SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC SOMETHING THAT I RELATE TO AS WELL IS THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT DO SUFFER FROM WAGE THEFT ARE THOSE THAT CAN'T DEFEND THEMSELVES AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT RIGHTS THEY HAVE AND THAT'S WHY IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THESE HEARINGS TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT FOR THEM, ADVOCATE FOR THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THEIR THEY GET THEIR PAY AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. THAT'S WHY I WANT IT TO BE ONE OF THE CO-SPONSORS WITH COUNCILOR WEBER AND CONCILOR MEJIA HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING THIS TO THE LIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK THANK YOU COUNCILOR PEPPER AND COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE FLYNN AND THEN MURPHY AND WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR BREADON. OH, THANK YOU. UM, I'LL I'LL SAY MOST OF MY COMMENTS FOR WHEN I HAVE QUESTIONS BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION AND MY COLLEAGUES FOR BRINGING THIS MATTER BEFORE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT MAKE SURE THAT I STAND WITH OUR WORKERS AND PREVENT WAGE THEFT SO I LOOK FORWARD TO ASKING FURTHER QUESTIONS.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL LOUIJEUNE COUNCILOR FLYNN.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE PANEL FOR BEING HERE. THIS IS AN ISSUE I'VE WORKED ON FOR SEVEN YEARS ESPECIALLY ON WAGE THEFT AS IT IMPACTS RESTAURANT WORKERS IN MY DISTRICT OR THROUGHOUT THE CITY WORKING WITH THE CHINESE COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY IN THE IMPACT IT HAS WAGE THEFT HAS ON IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.  WE SEE IT EVERY DAY AND WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCILOR MEJIA FOR HER WORK ON THIS ISSUE AND ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCILOR WEBER AND THANK HIM AND ACKNOWLEDGING MAYOR WALSH I KNOW HE'S DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK ON THIS ISSUE ALSO BUT IN THE WHOLE IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY IN MY DISTRICT ESPECIALLY IN CHINATOWN, IN OTHER AREAS IN CAMBRIDGE ACTUALLY OUTSIDE OF BOSTON WE DO SEE A LOT OF IMMIGRANT WORKERS BEING EXPLOITED, WORKING HARD, WORKING LONG HOURS AND MAYBE THEY GET PAID OR MAYBE THEY DON'T GET PAID AND IT'S AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT WE SEE BUT REGARDLESS IF SOMEONE IS HERE A ILLEGALLY OR NOT, THEY DESERVE DIGNITY AND DESERVE TO HAVE THEIR FULL PAY AND NOT BE EXPLOITED BY ANYBODY . THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO ME AND I.  I DO BELIEVE IF WE SEE THIS HAPPENING IN RESTAURANTS THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN DEALING WITH RESTAURANT OWNERS THAT CONTINUE TO EXPLOIT WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN, COUNCILOR MURPHY, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS OF THIS IMPORTANT HEARING TO THE PANEL HERE AND THEN ALSO THE UNIONS.  THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I KNOW THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT LIKE COUNCIL ME HERE AND PAPA WAS SAYING THAT MANY TIMES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EMPLOYEES WHO DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A VOICE OR THAT THEY HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO AND THE WHEREAS THAT STATES YOU KNOW THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL HAS A DUTY TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES FROM PREDATORY EMPLOYER PRACTICES LIKE WAGE THEFT I TAKE SERIOUSLY LIKE WE DO HAVE A DUTY SO HOPING THAT BY THE END OF THIS OR HEARING OR CONTINUED CONVERSATION WITH ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE QUESTIONS I'M HOPING TO ANSWER WHAT TOOLS DO WE ALREADY HAVE ON THE BOOKS? BECAUSE MANY TIMES LOTS OF THINGS THAT COME THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL WE REALIZE WELL WE ALREADY COULD DO THAT BUT MAYBE WE'RE NOT LEANING IN ON THINGS SO I DON'T WANT TO RECREATE THE WHEEL BUT AT THE SAME TIME MAKING SURE THAT THE TOOLS WE HAVE AND WE'RE LIKE WHAT DEPARTMENTS IS IT JUST THE LICENSING DEPARTMENT, THE OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WHAT OUTSIDE AGENCIES IS IT THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT ALSO COULD WEIGH IN SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER,  STRENGTHENING THE TOOLS WE HAVE AND THEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT DO WE NEED TO ADD AND TOOLS TO OUR TOOLBOX TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PROTECTING OUR WORKERS.  SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION AND UPLIFTING THOSE VOICES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR BREADON.  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE FOR THE PANEL. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'M GOING TO KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF. I THINK THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE. IT'S PROBABLY MUCH MORE PERVASIVE THAN WE APPRECIATE AND WORKERS WHO WORK DO AN HONEST DAY'S WORK FOR THEY DESERVE TO BE PAID IN A TIMELY WAY. THEY DESERVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION COUNTED FOR SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR BENEFITS ACCRUED OVER TIME.  AND I REALLY FEEL THAT THERE'S A REALLY POWER DISPARITY IN ESPECIALLY AS OUR COLLEAGUES CONSTITUENTS ALREADY MENTIONED FOLKS WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED OR ARE VERY, VERY VULNERABLE TO EXPLOITATION EXPLOITATION ESPECIALLY IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION AND I REALLY DO THANK COUNCILOR WEBER AND COUNCILWOMAN HERE FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN THIS EFFORT TO TRY AND IMPROVE THIS SITUATION WITH REGARD TO WAGE THEFT. SO THANK YOU.  THANK YOU COUNCILOR BREADON. I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE MY COLLEAGUES AS THEY COME IN VERY QUICKLY I'LL JUST SAY AND ECHO THE THANKS OF GRATITUDE TO THE MAKERS COUNCILOR ARROYO WHO ALSO PUT THIS FORWARD WHEN HE WAS CHAIR AND THEN ALSO MAYOR MARTY WALSH FOR HAVING THE FORESIGHT TO ISSUE THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER AND THEN ALSO I THINK IN 2017 I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET THIS RIGHT. HE HAD ALSO FOLLOWED UP WITH ESTABLISHING PAYMENT CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR VENDORS WITH CITY CONTRACTS. SO I THINK THAT THAT WAS EXCELLENT. OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO CODIFY THIS. I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT MECHANISMS WE HAVE THROUGH THIS ORDINANCE TO HOLD BAD ACTORS ACCOUNTABLE AND THE WAY IN WHICH COUNCILOR WEBER HAD ARTICULATED IT IN THE WAREHOUSES WHERE IT BASICALLY IS A RACE TO THE BOTTOM WHERE WE'RE RIPENING THE CONDITIONS FOR CERTAIN FOLKS PAYING THE LOWEST POSSIBLE RATE TO NOT PAY THEIR WORKERS OR TO HAVE ANY SORT OF NEFARIOUS PRACTICES. SO THIS IS NECESSARY.  I'M JUST CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT MIGHT ACTUALLY WORK OPERATIONALLY.  SO WITH THAT I WILL PASS IT OVER TO THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL FIRST I'LL INTRODUCE THEM. WE HAVE GENUINE WHO'S THE CHIEF OF THE WORKER EXCUSE ME WORKER EMPOWERMENT CABINET JODY SUGARMAN ROSEN WHO IS THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF WORKER EMPOWERMENT WITHIN THE OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE AND WORKER PROTECTIONS AND ALSO LOOM AND ARENA WHO IS SENIOR ADVISOR FOR LABOR WITHIN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND LOU MIGHT BE CALLED A WAY TO ADDRESS AN URGENT MATTER SO WE WILL FORGIVE HIM FOR THAT BUT ALSO PROVIDE SOME GRACE AS HE NAVIGATES THAT SITUATION. FOLLOWING THAT WE WILL HAVE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES. WE'LL ALSO GO TO A UNION AND ADVOCATES PANEL IN ADDITION TO DISCUSSION AND THEN PUBLIC TESTIMONY.  SO WITH THAT I'LL PASS IT TO THE ADMINISTRATION. IT'S UP TO YOUR DISCRETION ON WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST BUT THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILORS, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME ? YES. GREAT. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU ALL THE COUNCILORS FOR THEIR REMARKS AND FOR BEING PRESENT FOR SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC AND WORK AHEAD OF US. ONE TO SPECIFICALLY THANK COUNCILOR MEJIA WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH OUR ADMINISTRATION AND OUR OFFICE FOR THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS ON THIS TOPIC AND THEN RECENTLY COUNCILOR WEBER WHO'S BEEN ON THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND FOR UM WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH OUR OFFICE SO THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. MY NAME IS TROY NGUYEN AND I HAVE THE PLEASURE AND HONOR TO SERVE MAYOR ROOS, CHIEF OF WORKER EMPOWERMENT IN THE CABINET AND WHILE WAGE THEFT IS PART OF THE LABOR COMPLIANCE FOR OUR WORKER POWER CABINET, WE THINK WE SEE THIS AS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT THROUGH ALL THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. SO IT'S NOT JUST THE OFFICE OF WORKER EMPOWERMENT THAT IS LEADING IT. THE THIRD REASON WHY OBVIOUSLY EVEN IF I DIDN'T HAVE THIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I THINK THIS IS THIS SHOULD BE THE FOREFRONT OF THE ISSUE IS THAT MY FAMILY CAME HERE AS REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS IN THE EARLY 1980S AND THEY WERE VICTIMS OF WAGE THEFT. THEY COULDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH. THEY WORKED AS DISHWASHERS FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS OF THEIR THEIR ACCULTURATION PROCESS HERE IN THE U.S. SO THIS IS NOT ONLY REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT AND FRONT AND CENTER BUT IT HITS THE HEART AS WELL.  AND I KNOW THAT EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IN THIS ROOM AND ALL OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT YOU HAVE SOMEWHAT OF AN IMPACT ON THIS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL AS WELL.  SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF BACKGROUND OF THE WAGE THEFT ISSUES IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THESE ARE JUST KIND OF OVERVIEW DATA POINTS THAT WE TRY TO KEEP AS SUCCINCT AS POSSIBLE AND WE WENT THROUGH VARIOUS NOTES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE USE YOUR TIME WISELY AND ONLY PINPOINT RELEVANT DATA. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US AT ANY TIME AND REALLY QUICKLY I'M JUST GOING TO ASK THAT YOU SAY NEXT SLIDE SO THAT OUR STAFF CAN CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO COUNSELOR SO I'M STILL ON THE FIRST SLIDE. SORRY . SO FROM 2019 TO 2023 THE MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE WHICH WE WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH THEIR FAIR LABOR DIVISION AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION WHICH IS ALSO REFERRED TO U.S. STEEL WELL WHICH WE WORK ON A CONSTANT WEEKLY BASIS A COLLABORATION HAD 275 CASES OF WAGE THEFT IN THE CITY OF BOSTON ALONE AND THAT'S ONLY ONES THAT ARE DOCUMENTED 30% OF THE BOSTON WAGE THEFT VIOLATIONS FROM THE AGO AND WELL OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WERE WITH COMPANIES THAT HAD A CITY OF BOSTON LICENSE AND 4% WITH COMPANIES THAT HAD A CITY OF BOSTON ADDRESS A CONTRACT LARGER THAN 25,000 SHOWS HOW WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF WE ALL COME TOGETHER. SO IN TOTAL THE MASSACHUSETTS AGO AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR CASES RESULTED IN 9.6 MILLION AND FINES WERE COVERED FOR WAGES FOR WORKERS AND 4.3 MILLION FROM EMPLOYERS AND CONTRACTS FOR OR LICENSES IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.  AND MAYOR WHO IN THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE FOCUSED THAT IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING IT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT WE CAN DO. THERE'S ALSO UNDERREPORTED NUMBERS FROM UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING HERE. SO THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS ISSUE IS UNFORTUNATELY OVER 100 TO 200% FOLD. SO THE URGENT THE PROBLEM IS VERY, VERY URGENT.  I'LL STOP THERE AND LET MY COLLEAGUE EITHER LOU OR JODY PROCEED WITH THAT.  OKAY. SO I GO FOR THE NEXT LINE WHICH IS SLIDE TO MY WAY OF INTRODUCTION. I'M LOU AND RENEE. I'M A SENIOR ADVISOR FOR LABOR POLICY TO MAYOR WU. I HAVE AN INVOLVED IN DRAFTING A LOT OF THESE ORDINANCES AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH AND I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE MAYOR WHEN SHE WAS A COUNCILOR BACK WHEN THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS HERE BECAUSE OF WAGE THEFT ORDINANCES ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS SHE FILED WHEN SHE GOT ON THE COUNCIL SO THIS IS A NICE DECADE TO COMPLETE THE TASK BUT HERE WE ARE. I WANT TO COME AT IT FROM TWO ANGLES THAT ARE NOT IN THE PRESENTATION AND THEN I'LL PICK UP THE PRESENTATION.  BUT I THINK THERE ARE TWO THINGS AT THE OUTSET THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT ARE AN IMPORTANT REASONS FOR PURSUING THIS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY GOING TO BE ONES THAT ARE UPPERMOST IN THE MINDS OF FOLKS . SO LAST QUARTER THE LAST STATISTIC I SAW 14% OF WORKERS IN MASSACHUSETTS BELONG TO LABOR ORGANIZATIONS. THEY BELONG TO UNIONS WHICH MEANS THE VAST MAJORITY DON'T.  AND I THINK IF YOU DON'T HAVE A UNION AND YOU DON'T HAVE READY ACCESS TO A WORKER CENTER WHICH REPRESENTS AN AWFUL LOT OF FOLKS IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY I THINK WITH SORT OF NEW BOSTONIAN POPULATIONS,  HOW DO YOU REDRESS THE FACT THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PAID YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PAID PROPERLY, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PAID COMPLETELY, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PAID ON TIME. DO YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO? WHO DO YOU GO TO? WHO DO YOU TALK TO? HOW DO YOU VINDICATE YOUR RIGHTS?  SO A HUGE PART OF THIS IS EDUCATION AND MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE AND WHERE TO GO TO VINDICATE THEM AND HOW TO REDRESS THEM. IT'S NOT AN EASY PROCESS IN MASSACHUSETTS.  AS COUNCILOR WEBER SPENT SOME QUALITY TIME IN ASHBURTON PLACE I THINK WILL TELL YOU IT'S NOT EASY TO DO IT IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING OR YOU DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY TO TAKE YOUR HAND ON HOW TO DO IT. SO I THINK THAT EDUCATION IS ONE PART OF IT AND THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE OR YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE SOMEONE TO STAND UP FOR THEM AND THEN I THINK THE OTHER PIECE OF IT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO TALK ABOUT AND I'M SURE OUR FRIENDS FROM THE LABOR COMMUNITY, THE IRONWORKERS AND THE CARPENTERS WILL TELL YOU ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY'VE GOT SIGNATORY SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS WHO PAY A COMPETITIVE WAGE, PAY HEALTH INSURANCE, PAY A PENSION, PAY AN ANNUITY AND THEY DO RIGHT BY GUARANTEEING THAT THEIR WORKERS CAN ADVANCE, YOU KNOW, INTO THE MIDDLE CLASS AND SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. BUT THE PROBLEM AT THE END OF THE DAY IS WHEN OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BUILT INTO THEIR BUSINESS MODEL CHEATING AND CUTTING CORNERS AND UNDERCUTTING THOSE FOLKS, IT MAKES IT HARD FOR THEM TO COMPETE AND IT MAKES IT HARD FOR THEM TO BE THE PILLARS OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, THE HOTEL INDUSTRY. SO THOSE BUSINESSES THAT DO RIGHT BY THEIR WORKERS AND PAY PEOPLE FULLY AND ON TIME AND COMPETITIVE WAGES. YOU ALL KNOW THEM. I MEAN THEY ARE THE FABRIC OF EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS CITY AND THIS ORDINANCE IN ADDITION TO ADVOCATING FOR WORKERS IS ABOUT PROTECTING THOSE BUSINESSES THAT DO THE RIGHT THING. SO THAT'S A PIECE OF IT THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO FRAME FROM THE JUMP. SO WITH THAT I WOULD POINT OUT MORE IN THE PRESENTATION THE PLACES WHERE WE SEE THE GREATEST VIOLATIONS AS COUNCILOR FLYNN POINTED OUT, RESTAURANT INDUSTRY AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 157 CASES 57% OF THE CASES THAT TREND REFERRED TO CHIEF QUINN REFERRED TO CAME IN RESTAURANTS. 25 CASES WERE IN CONSTRUCTION. ONE OF THE CONSTRUCTION CASES A PERSON THE ENTITY HAD A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON.  THESE NUMBERS DON'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT A HUGE NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS NEVER REPORTED COMPLAINTS, NEVER INVESTIGATED PRIVATE RATE OF ACTIONS NOT PURSUED BUT 70% OF COMPLAINTS MADE TO THE MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE RESULT IN PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION LETTERS. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT?  SOMETIMES THESE THINGS GET SETTLED. SOMETIMES YOU CAN FIND A LAWYER TO REPRESENT YOU. SOMETIMES YOU CAN FIND A WORKER CENTER TO HELP YOU BUT OFTEN YOU CAN'T.  SO THIS IS WHY THE EDUCATION PIECE OF THIS IS VITAL.  IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. IT'S A HUGE PART OF WHAT WE HAVE STARTED WITH THE CABINET THAT WE CREATED AT THE OUTSET OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND THEN THE FINAL PIECE OF THIS THAT WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE I THINK IS THE FOURTH SLIDE ONE MORE. SO JUST TO REVIEW SO WE'RE SEEKING WE HAVE BEEN SEEKING AND OBVIOUSLY THE COUNCIL TO PASS A WAGE THEFT ORDINANCE THAT'S GOING TO CODIFY A LOT OF WHAT EXISTED IN THE EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT MAYOR WALSH PROMULGATED IN 2014. SO JUST TO REVIEW WHAT THAT EXECUTIVE ORDER PROVIDES THE WAY FOR. SO IT REQUIRES CITY VENDORS TO CERTIFY TO THE CITY THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL AND STATE WAGE LAW AND TO REPORT VIOLATIONS AND PROVIDE A WAGE BOND PROHIBITS CITY DEPARTMENTS FROM CONTRACTING WITH DEBARRED VENDORS FOR THE PERIOD OF THEIR DEBARMENT THAT AMENDS THE STANDARD CONTRACT GENERAL CONDITIONS LANGUAGE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY VIOLATIONS OF CHAPTER 149 CHAPTER 151 THE FLSA WITHIN THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THE CONTRACT. IT ENSURES POTENTIAL AND CURRENT RECIPIENTS OF LICENSES ISSUED UNDER G.L. 138 AND CHAPTER 142 COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE WAGE LAWS AND THE BOSTON LICENSING BOARD MAY CONSIDER WHETHER A CURRENT OR POTENTIAL LICENSEE HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO FEDERAL OR STATE CRIMINAL OR CIVIL JUDGMENT ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION ORDER OR FINAL ADMINISTRATIVE DETERMINATION RESULTING FROM THE VIOLATION OF 149 151 OR THE FLSA IN DETERMINING WHETHER TO ISSUE RE-ISSUE, MODIFY, SUSPEND OR REVOKE A LICENSE. SO THAT'S WHERE WE STAND NOW IN TERMS OF THE LEGAL AUTHORITY THAT WE HAVE AND THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING UNDER FOR TWO YEARS SINCE THE CABINET WAS CREATED TWO AND A HALF YEARS AND WITH THAT I'LL SEE THE FLOOR TO DEPUTY CHIEF JODY, THANKS. THANKS, LOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TODAY. MY NAME IS JODY SUGARMAN ROSANNA I'M A DEPUTY CHIEF IN THE WORKER EMPOWERMENT CABINET AND LEAD THE OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE AND WORKER PROTECTION. SO MY MY JOB TODAY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES IS TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW ENFORCEMENT OF THE WAGE THEFT EXECUTIVE ORDER ACTUALLY WORKS SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED ARE LISTED ON THIS SLIDE LABOR COMPLIANCE, PROCUREMENT, AUDITING, OTHER CONTRACTING DEPARTMENTS AND THE LICENSING BOARD AND A LITTLE BIT IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE THE WAY THAT WE ENFORCE THE EXECUTIVE THE CURRENT EXECUTIVE ORDER IS IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES PRE AWARD OF CONTRACTS DURING THE TIME THAT PEOPLE HOLD A CONTRACT AND THEN POST TO WORK. SO PRE AWARD BIDDERS HAVE TO COMPLETE A WAGE THEFT PREVENTION FORM IT'S CALLED THE CM 16 WITH THEIR BID AND OR PROPOSAL DISCLOSING OR CERTIFIED COMPLIANCE WITH THE EXECUTIVE ORDER AND THIS IS WHERE AUDITING DEPARTMENT COMES IN THE AUDITING DEPARTMENT IS THE ONE WHO CREATES THE FORMS AND THE STANDARD CONDITIONS BUT IT IS THE PROCUREMENT TEAM THAT CREATES THE FORMS THAT ARE USED AS PART OF THAT PROCESS.  WHEN SOMEONE HAS AN AWARD THOSE STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS ADDRESS DISCLOSURE OF FUTURE VIOLATIONS AND DEBARMENT WHICH HAS HAPPENED AND THE CITY CAN ASK IF IT WANTS TO FOR WAGE BONDS IF A CONTRACTOR DISCLOSES PREVIOUS WAGE VIOLATIONS AND IT HAPPENS AT THAT POINT POST AWARD ANY CONTRACTOR OR VENDOR THAT DISCLOSES A WAGE THEFT VIOLATION AS PART OF THOSE FORMS HAS TO PROVIDE A MONTHLY CERTIFIED PAYROLL RECORD TO THE AWARDING DEPARTMENT AND IF THE PROSPECTIVE VENDORS CURRENTLY DEBARRED A BID IS REJECTED OUT RIGHT IF A VENDORS DEBARRED DURING THE CONTRACT TERM THE CITY MAY TERMINATE THE CONTRACT IMMEDIATELY. AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE THE OFFICER OFFICE OF WAGE THEFT OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE AND WORKER PROTECTIONS WHICH WE SHORTHAND TO OH WELL SEE P SHARES WAGE THEFT DATA REGULARLY WITH THE LICENSING BOARD AND SENDS LETTERS TO COMPANY WITH WILLFUL AND REPEAT WAGE THEFT VIOLATIONS.  AND COUNCILOR WEBER SHARED ONE OF THOSE LETTERS WHEN WE FIND OUT ABOUT A COMPANY THAT HAS A REPEAT WILLFUL OR WILLFUL VIOLATION WE SEND AND THEY HOLD A LICENSE WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON, WE SEND THEM A LETTER TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS AND WE COPY THE LICENSING BOARD SO THEY KNOW AS WELL THAT THIS THE PARTICULAR COMPANY THAT HOLDS A LICENSE HAS A SERIOUS WILLFUL AND REPEAT VIOLATION STARTING WITH THIS 2425 YEAR. THE LICENSING BOARD IS ALSO GOING TO BE DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE PROCUREMENT TEAM AND THEY'RE GOING TO START REQUESTING DISCLOSURE OF WAGE THEFT VIOLATIONS IN ADVANCE AS PART OF THE LICENSING APPLICATION.  YOU CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE . THE OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE AND WORKER PROTECTIONS HAS REALLY TRIED TO HELP SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS SINCE WE CAME INTO EXISTENCE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO . SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE RIGHT ON OUR WEBSITE WE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS FOR WAGE THEFT.  WE REFER THOSE CASES TO THE MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S FAIR LABOR DIVISION. SO AND BUT AT FY 24 WE REFERRED 59 CASES 35 RESULTED IN PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION LETTERS MEANING THEY WERE THEY WERE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE ON THEIR OWN A WAGE THEFT CASE. TEN INVESTIGATIONS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN.  THREE EMPLOYERS WERE CITED. ONE WAS AN INFORMAL INVESTIGATION AND TEN OF THOSE WERE CLOSED. OUR SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER FOR LIVING WAGE AND WAIT THEFT MONIQUE MITCHELL WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY BUT HAS DONE THE LION'S SHARE OF WORK TRACKING WAGE THEFT DATA AND CROSS-REFERENCING IT WITH LICENSES AND CONTRACTS AND THAT'S SOMETHING NEW AGAIN, THE LETTERS TO REPEAT ARE WILLFUL THOSE WHO HAVE A REPEAT OR WILLFUL WAGE THEFT VIOLATION.  WE ALSO AND THIS IS PART OF THE OUR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BOSTON RESIDENT JOBS POLICY A LOT OF WAGE THEFT COMES IN THE FORM OF NOT PAYING PEOPLE PROPERLY THE WAGES THAT THEY ARE DUE AND THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN IT COMES TO CONSTRUCTION AND PREVAILING WAGE.  SO WE'VE REALLY UPPED OUR GAME WITH REGARDS TO MONITORING FOR PREVAILING WAGE. WE NOW HAVE A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT THE BOSTON RESIDENT JOBS POLICY WHO IS MONITORING NOT ONLY COLLECTING THE CERTIFIED PAYROLL RECORDS BUT CROSS CHECKING THOSE AGAINST THE BEDSHEETS THAT ARE PROVIDED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CONSTRUCTION WORK IS NOT LEADING TO WAGE THEFT.  AND WE ALREADY AND THIS IS PART OF THE NEW ORDINANCE BUT WE HAD ALREADY STARTED WORKING WITH DO IT THE I.T FOLKS HERE TO CREATE A DATABASE OF WAGE THEFT VIOLATIONS THE EXTENT THAT IS PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT LAPSED LICENSING AND CONTRACTING STAFF CAN USE TO CROSS-REFERENCE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OFTENTIMES DISCLOSURE MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE THE BEST WAY TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON THESE WAGE THEFT VIOLATIONS AND THEN NEXT SLIDE. THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE AS HE SAID, ABOUT 70% OF THE CASES THAT OF WAGE THEFT OR COMPLAINTS FOR WAGE THEFT THAT GO TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL END UP IN PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION WHICH MEANS THAT THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE PURSUING THOSE CASES ON THEIR OWN AND MANY, MANY CASES MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO COME FORWARD WITH WAGE THEFT COMPLAINTS.  AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO COME FORWARD WITH THE WAGE THEFT COMPLAINT WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE DOCUMENTED YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE PAID FOR THE HOURS YOU WORK DOCUMENTATION IS IRRELEVANT. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND THAT'S BEEN A BIG PART OF OUR EFFORT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OF LAST YEAR WE PARTNERED WITH FOUR WORKER CENTERS TO HOLD FIVE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOPS AND RESOURCE FAIRS IN FIVE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE CITY WITH TRANSLATION AND SEVEN LANGUAGES ATTENDED BY ABOUT 200 WORKERS. AND THIS YEAR WE ARE PRACTICALLY DOUBLING WE'RE DOING FIVE RESOURCE CLINICS, EIGHT WORKERS RIGHTS WEBINARS AND PARTNERING WITH WORKER CENTERS TO PROVIDE MULTILINGUAL KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING IN LANGUAGES THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND. SO WE KNOW THAT THE ABILITY FOR THE CITY TO TAKE ACTION ON THOSE CASES THAT ACTUALLY RESULT IN A VIOLATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ARE JUST A HANDFUL AS CHIEF WITNESS SAID AND WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE WE HAVE STRATEGIES TO WORK WITH ALL WORKERS AND THAT'S THE END OF OUR SLIDES AND WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT WE HAVE REVIEWED THE ORDINANCE AND ARE LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES AND CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE ORDINANCE TO ASSESS OUR CAPACITY AND AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT NOW.  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION IS VERY THOROUGH AND JUST SO MY COLLEAGUES KNOW YOU DO HAVE A COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION IN YOUR INBOXES THROUGH THE FOLDER THAT WAS SENT BY MAKING. CAVANAUGH SO NOW WE'LL GO TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES I'LL SAY 6 MINUTES FOR EACH SO I'LL GO TO THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCILOR WEBRE HERE PEPEN LOUIJEUNE FLYNN UH MURPHY AND THEN BREADON GO AHEAD.  HI. SO I JUST WANTED TO START WITH SOMETHING IN THE PRESENTATION AND WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE RIGHTS OF ACTION AND TO ME THAT THAT BRINGS UP AN ISSUE OF YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT IS GOING TO TRIGGER OUR ACTIONS, YOU KNOW AND I THINK UNDER THE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS IF THERE'S A WAGE THEFT ORDER FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR THAT THAT SHOULD ALERT US. BUT OKAY, SO WHAT HAPPENS FOR MY COLLEAGUES IF YOU FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND I WORKED IN THE FAIR LABOR DIVISION, 70% OF THE COMPLAINTS YOU GET WHAT'S CALLED A PRA PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION SAYING SORRY EITHER WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES OR YOU'VE COME WITH PRIVATE REPRESENTATION AND AND BEFORE THAT YOU CAN FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT.  YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO GET THIS PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.  SO IN THOSE CASES LET'S SAY THEY'RE ALL BEING REPRESENTED BY ATTORNEYS AND THEY THEY GO AND THEY WIN THEIR CASE OR SOMETHING THAT WOULDN'T TRIGGER THE 70% OF THOSE CASES WOULDN'T TRIGGER ANY ACTION UNDER THE CURRENT RULES. SO I DON'T KNOW YOU KNOW, TONY DRINI, IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD JUST BE LIMITING THIS TO THE, YOU KNOW, WAGE THEFT ORDERS OR WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO EXPAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT TRIGGERS SOME ACTIONS.  YEAH. YEAH. WELL I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF HARD QUESTIONS WE HAVE TO ANSWER IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THIS AND YOU'VE TOUCHED ON ONE OF THE HARDEST WHAT CONSTITUTES A FINAL ADJUDICATION WHAT CONSTITUTES THE THING THAT TRIGGERS, YOU KNOW RESPONSIBILITY UNDER A WAGE THEFT ORDINANCE SO I MEAN I THINK IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO MAKE IT TO PEG IT TO THE PRIVATE RATE OF ACTION AS THE THING THAT YOU KNOW, CONSTITUTES A VIOLATION. I THINK BE HARD. BUT AT THE SAME TIME TOO WHEN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE RESOLVES ONE OF THESE THINGS DIRECTLY, IT'S ONE OF THE FEW CASES THAT THEY KEEP. DOES THAT CONSTITUTE A FINAL ADJUDICATION? IS IT A CONSENT DECREE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR? I MEAN WHAT I THINK WE HAVE THAT'S THE WORK WE HAVE TO DO IS WHAT FIRES THE STARTING GUN. YEAH, I THINK I MEAN WE CAN CERTAINLY YOU KNOW THE MOST EGREGIOUS ARE ORDERS TO PAY WAGES THAT ARE HAVE NOT BEEN PAID YOU KNOW THERE SHOULD THAT SHOULD BE JUST RESERVED FOR A CERTAIN LEVEL LEVEL ONE OFFEND OFFENDERS OR WHATEVER AND THEN WHERE THERE'S A WAGE ORDER AND THEY'VE PAID EVERYTHING I THINK WE CAN TREAT THAT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY. BUT YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING FOR FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE MOST OF THE CASES GET LITIGATED PRIVATELY, YOU KNOW, IF AT ALL IF THERE'S A SUMMARY JUDGMENT RULING, SOME RULING BY A COURT I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THAT GETS TO THE DATABASE WHICH WE CAN GET TO IN A SECOND. BUT YEAH I KNOW I AGREE IT HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF DUE PROCESS. YOU DON'T WANT YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY FILED A COMPLAINT AND THAT A CONTRACTOR CAN'T GET A CONTRACT HERE, I'M NOT LOOKING I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA OR A GOOD POLICY. I'D ADD ONE MORE THING. I MEAN I THINK THE OTHER CENTRAL CHALLENGE HERE, YOU KNOW, AS EVERYTHING INVOLVING MASSACHUSETTS AND MUNICIPAL POWER IS WE ALSO CAN'T DO ENFORCEMENT SO WE'RE FORECLOSED, YOU KNOW, BY THE WAGE ACT AND A LOT OF YOU KNOW, PLACES FROM DOING DIRECT ENFORCEMENT.  SO YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT TRIGGERS ONE QUESTION IS WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT FIRES THE STARTING GUN FOR A VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE AND THEN SECONDLY, WHAT CAN WE DO SHORT OF ENFORCEMENT TO ACTUALLY VINDICATE THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO USE THE WAGE THEFT ORDINANCE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT? SO IF THE CITY CAN ENFORCE DIRECTLY, HOW DO WE DO WE GET PEOPLE TO WORKER CENTERS? IS IT SIMPLY EDUCATION? IS IT SIMPLY PROCUREMENT? IS IT LICENSING?  I MEAN THESE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE TO ANSWER. YEAH. SO I GUESS WHAT DO YOU THINK IN TERMS OF TAKING AN ACTION TO DENY SOMEONE'S BID FOR A CONTRACT? CAN CAN WE DO THAT?  SO IN OTHER WORDS COULD PROCUREMENT COULD OUR PROCUREMENT AND WHATEVER WHATEVER CAPACITY IT'S IMPLICATED TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION SOME WAGE THEFT VIOLATION IN DENYING SOMEONE A CONTRACT, CORRECT? YES. I THINK WE COULD DO THAT. I THINK THAT THAT IS THE CITY ACTING AS A MARKET PARTICIPANT AND I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY ON OUR FIRMEST GROUND IN ACTING IN THAT SETTING. WELL, LET ME JUST GO THROUGH A COUPLE MORE THINGS WHILE WE HAVE YOU HERE.  SO SUSPENDING AN EXISTING CONTRACT IF SOMEBODY IS ISSUED A WAGE THEFT ORDER SO THAT IS TO SAY SOMEONE HAS A CONTRACT, I JUST WANT TO REPEAT IT BACK TO YOU AND MAKE SURE WORK SO SOMEBODY HAS WON A CONTRACT THAT WE'VE BID OUT IN THE COURSE OF THEIR PERFORMANCE OF THAT CONTRACT A WAGE THEFT VIOLATION. NOW DOES THE WAGE THAT VIOLATION BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE FACTS MATTER IS THE WAGE THAT VIOLATION HAPPENED IN THE COURSE OF DOING THE THING THAT THEY CONTRACTED FOR WITH THE CITY OR IS IT THEY THIS PERSON ALSO RUNS A PIZZERIA IN ROSLINDALE AND THEY DO I MEAN I JUST ANSWER YOUR QUESTION WITH A QUESTION AND JUST YOU KNOW, IF IT'S IMPORTANT YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FACT. I MEAN I I MEAN MY SENSE OF IT WOULD BE IF WE'RE ACTING IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACT FOR THE CITY, WE'RE PROBABLY ON FIRMER GROUND THAN ATTACHING SOMETHING UNRELATED TO IT THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE SAME ENTITY THAT WON A CONTRACT. BUT I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY WORTHY OF CONVERSATION AND WHAT ABOUT DENYING SOMEONE? SO I GUESS I DON'T IF IN TERMS OF THE LICENSES THAT WE ISSUE THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED, CAN YOU IDENTIFY THOSE LICENSES? AND THEN THE QUESTION IS CAN WE DENY SOMEONE A LICENSE IF THEY HAVE IN YOUR UNDERSTANDING YOU KNOW WELL, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT I THINK ONE OF THE GREAT SKILLS IN LIFE IS TO KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT. SO I WOULD LEAVE LICENSING QUESTION FOR AND I IMAGINE WE'RE HEADED FOR A WORKING SESSION ON THIS WITH OUR PROCUREMENT AND OUR LICENSING FOLKS. SO RATHER THAN WRITE A CHECK I CAN'T CASH I WOULD WAIT FOR THAT DANCE IN THE LIGHT BECAUSE THE LICENSING QUESTIONS ARE THE THORNIEST AND FRANKLY WE DON'T HAVE CONSENSUS IN THE ADMINISTRATION ON WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO.  AND JUST FOR THE I MEAN IN TERMS OF POLICY, YOU KNOW,  JODY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT TARGETING THAT?  I MEAN YOU ALREADY ISSUE LETTERS ON THAT. WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT THAT I THINK WE'VE SHARED THE BUT WE TARGET THE LETTER SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE WILLFUL OR REPEAT VIOLATIONS BECAUSE WE KNOW SOMETIMES THESE WAGE THEFT CASES ARE SIMPLY THE EMPLOYER NOT KNOWING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH WE NEED EDUCATION ON THAT SIDE AS WELL AND WE SHARE THE INFORMATION AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BALANCE IT REALLY CLOSELY. WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO CLOSE DOWN A RESTAURANT THAT PROVIDES PEOPLE JOBS THAT THEY RELY ON. WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET THE WAGES THAT THEY DO SO WE WANT TO USE THAT IS A WAY AND OUR LICENSING IS A WAY TO LEVERAGE THAT TO THE EXTENT WE CAN. AND THE LETTERS REALLY ARE ABOUT LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE HAVE THEIR EYE ON THEM, THAT WE WE COULD MODIFY ACCORDING TO THE EXECUTIVE ORDER ALTHOUGH THERE IS LIKE WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE EXACTLY WHERE WE HAVE THE LINE MODIFYING, SUSPENDING AND REVOKING LICENSES AS IT IS IN THE CURRENT EXECUTIVE ORDER.  OKAY. YEAH IT WOULD. SO AND THEN JUST LASTLY AGAIN BACK TO TERNIUM INJURY THERE'S SO THE ORDINANCE GETS TO YOU KNOW CONTRACT X LICENSES AND IT ALSO ADDRESSES T GIVE THE TAX INCENTIVE FINANCING. DO YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE THE POWER TO IMPACT THOSE BASED ON WAGE THEFT.  I THINK WE HAVE THE POWER TO I THINK TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER WHETHER AND HOW WE WOULD DO IT, I THINK IT'S REALLY THE THE MAIN QUESTION I JUST POINTED OUT I MEAN I WOULD POINT TO TWO OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY QUITE IMPORTANT IN THE ORDINANCE AS DRAFTED IS THE EDUCATION ASPECT OF IT AND THE DATABASE IS I THINK ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS SHAPING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR. I THINK IF PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT STACHE PIZZERIA CONDUCTS ITS AFFAIRS THE WAY IT DOES, IT TREATS ITS EMPLOYEES WAY IT DOES ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO IS HELP SHAPE CONSUMER BEHAVIOR TO KNOW WHAT BUSINESSES IN OUR CITY HOW THEY'RE HOW THEY'RE CONDUCTING THEIR AFFAIRS AND HOW THEY'RE TREATING THEIR EMPLOYEES. SO THOSE ARE TWO PIECES OF IT THAT FIRMLY FIT WITHIN WHAT WE CAN DO. SO I JUST HIGHLIGHT THOSE AS A APPENDAGE TO OKAY AND THEN JUST ON THE DATABASE SO THAT'S IN THE ORDINANCE WE WOULD HAVE A DATABASE OF THESE VIOLATIONS WHICH I GUESS MY QUESTION IS FOR JODI DO WE HAVE AN ADEQUATE DATABASE NOW WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE ONE THAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW WOULD WOULD GET THE SORT OF MISSION ACCOMPLISHED HERE. AND LASTLY, WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD MAINTAIN UPDATE AND SORT OF HAVE SORT OF CONTROL OVER THAT? GREAT. THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS WE'RE TRYING TO ANSWER WE'VE BEEN THAT OUR OFFICE THE OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE AND WORKER PROTECTIONS HAS BEEN WORKING WITH DO IT TO DEFINE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND THE BASICALLY TAKING PUBLIC DATA THAT'S AVAILABLE FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COMBINED INTO ONE PLACE. AS YOU KNOW, THEY PROVIDE DATA DIFFERENTLY. THE WAY THAT THEY FIND VIOLATIONS IS DIFFERENTLY.  SO WE'RE WE'RE HAVING TO WORK THROUGH THAT AND WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THE DATABASE ACTIONABLE. IN OTHER WORDS, IF SOMEONE FOR PROCUREMENT WERE TO USE IT AND BRINGS UP A FIND THAT SOMEBODY WHO IS SICK CONTRACT THAT'S A VIOLATION THAT IT SAYS THESE ARE THE STEPS YOU MUST TAKE A WAGE BOND, A DISCLOSURE, YOU KNOW, REALLY BEING ACTIONABLE. BUT WE ARE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT. WE WANT IT TO BE START INTERNALLY SO THAT WE CAN USE IT. BUT OUR GOAL SIMILAR TO THE ORDINANCE IS TO HAVE A PUBLIC FACING TOOL BECAUSE THE DATA IS PUBLIC FACING SO IT JUST ALLOW US TO PUT IT IN A WAY THAT THE PUBLIC CAN UTILIZE IT MORE BUT BUT FIRST WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE I.T FOLKS WHO KNOW HOW TO PUT THESE THINGS TOGETHER AND MAKE IT HAPPEN ARE AGAIN SENIOR SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER FOR LIVING WAGE AND WAGE THEFT HAS BEEN LEAD ON THAT AND IS REALLY THE ONE WHO ALSO HAS DONE THE NUMBER CRUNCHING DATA COLLECTION CROSS-REFERENCING AGAINST CONTRACTS AND LICENSING . OKAY AND DO YOU DO YOU THINK YOUR OFFICE CAN I MEAN WOULD YOU NEED EXTRA STAFF TO DO THIS OR DO YOU DO YOU THINK THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MANAGE THIS?  I THINK WE'RE WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT THE CAPACITY QUESTIONS THAT THE ORDINANCE PROVIDES RIGHT NOW AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT MORE. BUT ONE QUESTION I, I, I WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS HONESTLY LABOR OR THE UNIONS WHICH OFTEN POLICE LIKE THEY FILE BID PROTESTS AND AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO MAKE SURE BIDDING PROCESSES ARE FOLLOWED LIKE WHETHER THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO LEND HELP WITH MAINTAINING THE DATABASE BUT I YOU AGAIN THAT I DON'T KNOW ATTORNEY MANDARINS YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT YEAH I MEAN I THINK THIS IS A VARIATION OF THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WHICH IS WHAT CONSTITUTES A FINAL ADJUDICATION FOR PURPOSES OF INCLUSION IN THE DATABASE. SO AGAIN WHAT FIRE IS THE STARTING GUN FOR A VIOLATION BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS UNIMPEACHABLE, A VIOLATION THAT EVERYONE WOULD AGREE IS A VIOLATION. SO WHAT IS IT AND?  BUT TO YOUR DIRECT POINT, I MEAN CAN OUR LABOR PARTNERS AND WORKERS ENTERS AND THAT KIND OF THING BE A SOURCE OF INFORMATION THAT COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE DATABASE? ABSOLUTELY TIED TO WEBER AS LEAD SPONSOR YOU'VE GONE OVER YOUR TIME. HOWEVER, I'M GOING TO THANK YOU ONE MORE AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE OTHER LEAD SPONSORS.  OKAY. I'M SORRY AND JUST WE'VE THERE'S A SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE WHERE WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WOULD TRIGGER, YOU KNOW, AN OBVIOUSLY FAILURE TO PAY WAGES, DEDUCTIONS, FAILURE TO PAY TIPS, MISCLASSIFICATION OF WORKERS AS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS. DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD OR SHOULD WE LOOK AT LIKE FAILURE TO PROVIDE WORKERS COMP OR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE OR DO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER SORT OF THESE NON WAGE BUT WORKPLACE ABUSES SHOULD BE INCLUDED TO THE EXTENT THAT FOLKS ARE DEBARRED FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE WORKERS COMP IT'S ALREADY INCLUDED IN THEIR YEAH I MEAN I THINK IT'S A I THINK IT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK THIS ALSO GETS TO THE SORT OF THE BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN THE COMMONWEALTH AND A MUNICIPALITY IF THERE ARE REMEDIAL SCHEMES IN OTHER STATUTES TO GUARD AGAINST VIOLATIONS OF THOSE STATUTES WHICH THERE IS IN WORKER'S COMP WHICH IS AND UNEMPLOYMENT THAT KIND OF A SITUATION I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE NECESSARILY HAVE THE POWER TO DO IT. SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.  OKAY. THANK YOU. CHAIR WAS SUPPOSED TO GO BACK.  I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS. I'LL GO TO COUNCILOR MEJIA THEN. COUNCILWOMAN THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU, COUNSELOR WEBER FOR ALL OF YOUR GREAT QUESTIONS.  SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO A JUST FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE TUNING IN AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. SO WAGE THEFT INCLUDES UNPAID RIGHT BEING PAID BELOW THE MINIMUM WAGE, RIGHT?  STOLEN TIPS WORKING WITHOUT BREAKS AMONG OTHER VIOLATIONS. NOW BEING PAID BELOW THE MINIMUM WAGE. LET'S JUST FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON THIS. IF YOU WORK AT A RESTAURANT OR SOMEWHERE AND YOUR EMPLOYER ASKS YOU TO COME IN AT 6:00 IN THE MORNING AND YOU WORK UNTIL 11:00 AT NIGHT AND YOU DO THAT 5 TO 7 DAYS A WEEK, YOU ARE ALREADY WORKING MORE THAN A WEEK WORTH OF SALARY BUT YOU'RE GETTING PAID THE SAME IF YOU ARE UNDOCUMENTED AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR RIGHTS ARE THEN WHO DO YOU REPORT TO?  I KNOW A LOT OF WORKER CENTERS WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH UNDOCUMENTED FOLKS TO HELP ACCESS THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS AND MAKE A COMPLAINT.  CERTAINLY UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE HAVE THE EXACT SAME RIGHTS IN TERMS OF BEING PAID WAGES THAT THEY ARE DUE WORKER'S COMP HEALTH AND SAFETY, OSHA PROTECTIONS THOSE ALL ARE YOUR RIGHTS REGARDLESS OF DOCUMENTATION.  SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT MAKING SURE PEOPLE KNOW THEY HAVE THE RIGHTS AND HAVE ACCESS TO THAT. THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH OUR WORKER RESOURCE FAIRS AND OUR KNOW YOUR RIGHTS EDUCATION. THAT'S WHY WE PARTNER WITH WORKER CENTERS WHO HAVE LANGUAGE CAPACITY THAT WE DON'T TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH FOLKS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE I THINK WHAT HAPPENS AT LEAST WHAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT THERE IS A DISCONNECT IN TERMS OF WHO IS RESPONSIBLE. RIGHT. SO THE WORKER IT'S GREAT FOR THEM TO KNOW THAT THIS EXISTS BUT WHO WHO'S RESPONSIBLE ULTIMATELY, RIGHT. SO WHAT I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT ROLE IF ANY WILL THE CITY PLAY IN DOING ENFORCEMENT WORK ? I'M SORRY . I MEAN I CAN GO TO ENFORCEMENT I THINK WE DON'T HAVE DIRECT ENFORCEMENT BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO DO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY, I THINK THE PLACES THAT THAT WORKER FACING THAT CIRCUMSTANCE COULD GO ARE THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. THEY COULD GO TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD GO TO A UNION, THEY COULD GO TO A WORKER CENTER. THOSE ARE ALL PLACES THAT WOULD HELP PEOPLE VINDICATE THEIR RIGHTS.  I THINK WHAT THE THRUST OF THIS AND WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING IS THAT CITY GOVERNMENT IS THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT'S CLOSEST TO THE GROUND. WE ARE YOU KNOW SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE HAD THE IF YOU HAD THE ABILITY TO GO INTO OFFICE HOURS IN ROSLINDALE OR OFFICE HOURS IN SOUTH BOSTON AND REPORT SOME VIOLATION TO THE CITY, THAT'S A LOT EASIER THAN GOING TO ASK FOR IT IN PLACE OR GOING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OTHER PLACES THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW EXIST. SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY KEY TO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS BEING YOU KNOW, REPORTING THE VIOLATIONS TO THE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT THAT IS CLOSEST TO PEOPLE. I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. SO THAT DOESN'T REALLY EXIST NOW AND THIS WILL HELP IT EXIST. THANK YOU.  AND I'M CURIOUS, TRENT, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCE AND HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO REALLY HELP US UNDERSTAND YOUR JOURNEY AND REALLY PROVIDES MORE CONTEXT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE TODAY.  WHAT ROLE DO YOU WOULD YOU SAY THE CITY BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS EITHER JODI OR YOU I'M NOT SURE WHO SAID IT BUT IN TERMS OF FROM ACCOUNTABILITY IT JUST FEELS LIKE I'M NOT REALLY CONVINCED AT THIS POINT THAT EVEN WITH THIS ORDINANCE THE ENFORCEMENT PART WOULD REALLY BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CAN ACTUALLY DO ON A REGULAR BASIS BECAUSE THE ONUS AGAIN GOES ON THE PERSON WHO'S BEING VIOLATED. RIGHT. LIKE HELP ME FROM ANY KIND OF LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT. WHAT HOW WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SET THIS UP IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION? WOULD YOU BE DOING, YOU KNOW, MONTHLY RAIDS OR SHOWING UP AT RESTAURANTS LIKE HELP ME UNDERSTAND IN THE HOW IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION I, I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.  I THINK TO RESPECT PEOPLE'S TIME I'M GOING TO BE VERY BRIEF AS POSSIBLE. SO FIRST IS THAT ON A ON A APPLYING AND SCENARIO MEETING THE PERSON BEING VIOLATED OR BEING A VICTIM OF WAGE THEFT,  WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT THE CHALLENGES WITH THAT RESIDENT OR THAT PERSON INTERFACING WITH A GOVERNMENT ENTITY WOULD BE VERY LOW. SO THAT IS WHY I THINK EDUCATION THEY'RE NOT GOING TO COME TO OUR OFFICE. THEY JUST WON'T BUT I THINK TRYING TO GET TO PARTNERS,  WORKER CENTERS, INFLUENCERS,  HOTSPOTS IN THE COMMUNITY TO GET THE WORD OUT AND VARIOUS LANGUAGES THAT OUR PARTNERS ARE NOT PART OF THE GOVERNMENT SENDS A VERY AMICABLE MESSAGE TO THAT COMMUNITY WHO IS BEING IMPACTED BY IT.  SO THAT TRUST IS IMPORTANT AND UNFORTUNATELY GOVERNMENT IS PROBABLY NOT THAT TRUST FACING FIGURE AT THIS MOMENT.  SO WE DO HAVE A MORE INTENTIONAL STRATEGY AND WE'VE LOOKED AT VARIOUS THOSE INTERVIEWS. THE FOCUS GROUPS TO COME UP WITH A COMMUNITY STRATEGY IN TERMS OF THE BACK END AND COMPLIANCE IS THERE A WAY IN WHICH THE CITY OF BOSTON CAN SEND A MESSAGE AND CAN DO BY PRACTICING SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT THAT WE WILL NOT DO BUSINESS WITH A VENDOR OR AN ENTITY THAT VIOLATES X, Y AND Z ? ABSOLUTELY. DO WE HAVE A COHESIVE STRATEGY THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT AS LOU ARTICULATED? DO WE HAVE CAPACITY TO DO THAT? ABSOLUTELY NOT.  I MEAN I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE RIGAMAROLE WHERE ORDINANCES OF COMPREHENSIVE THOUGHTFULNESS HAVE BEEN PASSED FROM PLANS TO PLANS BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND INTENTION OF VARIOUS CAPACITY TO DO X, Y AND Z, THOSE ORDINANCES AND PLANS WILL JUST SIT THERE. RIGHT? SO WE'VE SEEN THAT THROUGHOUT 2014 WHEN MAYOR WALSH HAD DECLARED THE EXECUTIVE ORDINANCES WE HAVE SEEN AND WORKED WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS . NOW THERE ARE WE CAN START WITH TWO MAJOR DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE LEVERS SO COULD BE THE LICENSING BOARD FOR RESTAURANTS AND IT COULD AND IT COULD GO BACK TO WHAT LOU IS TALKING ABOUT IS THAT MAYBE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A LEGAL COMPONENT TO REVOKE THOSE LICENSES. THAT'S A DIFFERENT QUESTION BUT WE CAN MAKE CALLS AND SAY HEY, WE'VE SEEN THIS ON YOUR RECORD . WOULD YOU COME AND TALK TO US ABOUT WHY YOU'RE WHY YOU'RE RENEWING THESE LICENSES AND THIS APPLICATION AND WHY YOUR M16 FORM SAYS X AND Y AND Z AND OR CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS AND MEETINGS WITH THE AG OFFICE CAN SAY OH, ARE THERE THINGS WE SHOULD HEAR ABOUT LEARN ABOUT AND KEEP THOSE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN WITH THE AG WE DON'T HAVE LEGAL AUTHORITY. WE SHOULD KEEP THOSE LINES OPEN . THE SECOND JURISDICTION THAT I THINK WE COULD HAVE CONVERSATIONS ON A DEEPER COMPLIANCE PARTNERSHIP IS PERHAPS THE ZONING BOARD, THE ZBA AND PERHAPS IF THEY WERE PULLING THE THE OCCUPANCY LICENSE OR THE CERTIFICATION TOWARDS THE END HAVE THEY FILLED OUT THEIR M16 FORM FOR EXAMPLE AND IF THEY DID IF THERE WERE THESE VIOLATIONS COULD WE CALL THEM UP? THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE WILL STOP OR SLOW THEIR CERTIFICATION YET BUT IT WOULD PUT IN A PROCESS FOR DELIBERATION THAT COULD SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY.  SO THOSE ARE THE EXAMPLES IN WHICH WE CAN GO THROUGH THE MATRIX TO SEE WHAT LOU IS TALKING ABOUT WHICH IS THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK WHAT JODY'S TALKING ABOUT WHICH IS THE EDUCATION PIECE AND FINALLY THE GAP PIECE THAT I'M TRYING TO ARTICULATE WHICH IS WHERE ARE THOSE GRAY AREAS IN WHICH WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN'T HAVE 100% BUT 60 OR 70% THAT MESSAGE IT'S CLEAR IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THAT WAS SUCH A GREAT ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IN TERMS OF JUST THE HOW AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU WALKING US THROUGH BECAUSE I SAID THIS IN MY EARLIER HEARING IS THAT POLICY MAKING IS VERY NUANCED. RIGHT. AND IT ALSO A VERY PRIVILEGED PROCESS. RIGHT? THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT AND KNOW THE INS AND OUT AND THEN THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST LEARNING IT. SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY'S COMING IN FROM FROM THEIR OWN VERY DIFFERENT LIVED EXPERIENCE AND PERSPECTIVE. SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU TOOK TO BREAK IT DOWN LIKE THAT. SO GOING BACK TO THE RESTAURANT I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THE RESTAURANT BECAUSE THOSE THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS IN PLACE AROUND CONSTRUCTION AND I KNOW WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH THE BOSTON JOBS RESIDENCY ORDINANCE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ESTABLISHED.  SO THERE ARE A LOT OF ALREADY THINGS IN PLACE AND MECHANISMS AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IN TERMS OF JUST FROM THE RESTAURANTS PERSPECTIVE, WOULD IT BE SOMETHING I'M GOING BACK TO YOU BECAUSE WHAT GOOD IS THE ORDINANCE UNLESS IT HAS THE LEGS TO STAND ON? I'M JUST CURIOUS IN TERMS OF THE RENEWAL, RIGHT. LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE LIKE WHEN THEY HAVE TO GET A PERMIT OR THEY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING OVER WOULD THIS BE THE PLACE WE WOULD REVIEW SEE THE DASHBOARD MAYBE. JODY LAKE HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE WE GOTTEN FROM THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE FOR WAGE THEFT OR WHATEVER OTHER VIOLATIONS AND THEN BASED ON A METRICS WE CAN SAY YOU ARE A REPEAT OFFENDER, YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, IN DANGER OF NOT BEING ABLE TO BE RENEWED. WHAT IS THE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT'S THE MECHANISM?  I LOVE TO USE I WOULD LOVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. I DON'T I JUST DON'T I HAVE THE ANSWER TO THOSE QUESTIONS. AND YOU KNOW, LOU AND JODY, I THINK WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH AN INTERNAL PROCESS IN WHICH WE CAN HAVE A CONSENSUS OF WHERE THESE SEQUENCE OF SUPPLY CHAIN WOULD HAPPEN AND IT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN FROM THE PERSON IN THE ENTRY LEVEL COMING INTO THE APPLICATION.  THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE M16 FORM IS ABOUT AND THEN IT GOES UP THE CHAIN TO HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE TO FLAG THAT INTERNALLY I THINK WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT AND I ALSO DEFER TO THE LICENSING DEPARTMENT AND BOARD TO ANSWER THAT. ONE THING I WOULD ADD I MEAN I THINK I THINK THE QUESTION ABOUT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH A LICENSE IS AN OPEN QUESTION AND IT'S ONE WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO SOLVE IN THE WORKING SESSION. BUT ONE THING THAT'S BEEN EFFECTIVE IN OTHER PLACES AND SAN FRANCISCO DOES IT PRETTY WELL IS CROSS TRAIN INSPECTORS ,CROSS TRAIN INSPECTORS, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS OR HEALTH INSPECTORS TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR OBVIOUS LABOR LAW VIOLATIONS OR TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. THIS IS SORT OF LIKE WHAT HAPPENED WITH STASHES PIZZERIA. YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOME BAD BEHAVIOR GOING ON WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER STUFF GOING ON TOO . SO WHEN YOU GO OUT TO YOU KNOW, DO A HEALTH INSPECTION, ARE YOU ALSO LOOKING AROUND AT YOU KNOW, WHO IS THE WORKFORCE? ARE YOU HEARING THINGS? ARE YOU LOOKING AT THINGS AND CAN YOU BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK SO THAT IT'S ACTIONABLE? YOU KNOW, WITH THE FOLKS IN THE CABINET HERE AND WHAT TO DO WITH IT? SO I THINK THAT'S ONE WAY TO GET AT IT.  YOUR QUESTION AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN EFFECTIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO I THINK CHICAGO DOES THAT TOO. THANK YOU. AND WE DID TRAIN ABOUT 100 INSPECTORS LAST WINTER ON HOW TO IDENTIFY LABOR TRAFFICKING AND THAT WAS A SUCCESSFUL BUT WE'LL DO IT EVERY YEAR AND JANUARY TO ENSURE PEOPLE HAVE THAT SKILLS. BUT THAT'S ONE PIECE. LABOR TRAFFICKING IS ONLY ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE AND I'LL JUST END WITH BECAUSE I KNOW AND I DO APPRECIATE THE EXTRA TIME THAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME . MADAM CHAIR, THAT COUNCILOR FLYNN HAD TALKED ABOUT IN DISTRICT AND A LOT OF THE VIOLATIONS THAT HAPPENED FOR HOTEL WORKERS, RESTAURANT WORKERS AND I'M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE LIST OF WHO ARE THE BAD ACTORS AND I KNOW THAT WHENEVER WE HAVE OUR BOSS JOBS RESIDENCY WE KIND OF ALREADY KNOW WHO ARE THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON? AND I JUST THINK THAT AS WE CONTINUE, IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST SHAMING PEOPLE BUT IF WE HAD A WAY OF KEEPING A LIST OF WHO THOSE FOLKS ARE, I THINK THAT THE EDUCATION PIECE IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I'M NOT SURE I THINK IT WAS LOU OR MAYBE IT WAS ANOTHER HEARING BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW SOMETIMES YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW.  IT WAS LOU RAY. I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN HERE ALL DAY TODAY BUT I THINK THAT THAT IS REALLY KEY TO THIS CONVERSATION IS BECAUSE WE'RE OPERATING ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THE LAWS ARE AND WE'RE OPERATING UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT EVERYONE'S GOING TO HAVE GOODWILL AND I THINK THOSE ASSUMPTIONS OFTENTIMES REALLY SHOW UP IN THIS CONVERSATION. SO I JUST WANT TO JUST NOTE THAT AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCILOR FLYNN FOR, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING THE FACT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO ARE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT SPACES AND PLACES AND IT'S NOT JUST LABOR BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE RESTAURANTS AND OTHER SPACES DON'T HAVE UNIONS. THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE, RIGHT? SO THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING OUR WORKFORCE A LOT OF THESE SPACES DON'T HAVE REAL FORMAL STRUCTURES TO BE PROTECTED.  SO THAT IS ONE THING THAT I THINK GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE WHAT EDUCATION LOOKS LIKE. SO I WILL DEAL THE REST OF MY TIME. THANK YOU.  THIS IS A REALLY FASCINATING CONVERSATION. I JUST WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR AMAZING QUESTIONS. COUNCILOR PATTON AND THEN COUNCILOR FLYNN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  JUST FIRST I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILOR MEJIA FOR ALWAYS LOOKING AT THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND USUALLY THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE EMPLOYEE TO NOT JUST GIVE HER CREDIT FOR THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.  TAKING A LOOK AT THIS LETTER OF THIS EXAMPLE THAT WE GOT AND FIRST OF ALL SHOUT OUT TO ONE OF MY DISTRICT FIVE OWNERS MIMI SIRKIN AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT SHE DOES OVER THE OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE AND WORKER PROTECTIONS. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU'RE HERE. THE FIRST THING THAT COMES INTO MY MIND IS WHEN THE EMPLOYER GETS THIS LETTER DOES THE EMPLOYEE GET A LETTER AS WELL LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEIR EMPLOYER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND IF SO DOES IT LIKE CAN IT COME WITH RESOURCES THAT EXIST FOR THEM BECAUSE WHAT'S THE POINT OF LET'S SAY I'M THE WORKER, MY EMPLOYER IS GETTING THE LETTER I DON'T KNOW IF THEY GOT A LETTER OR NOT AND I DON'T KNOW THEY WANT TO MAKE FOLLOW QUESTIONS THAT IS TO AS AN EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEE IS THERE BACKLASH FOR ME REPORTING MY EMPLOYER AND WHAT PROTECTIONS DO I HAVE WHEN I'M TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR MYSELF BUT MAYBE MY EMPLOYEE EMPLOYER IS FOLLOWING THROUGH CURRENTLY THAT IT'S A GREAT IDEA. WE DO NOT SHARE THE LETTER WITH EMPLOYERS. WE DON'T HAVE EMPLOYEES, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THAT LIST. BUT I THINK SHARING THAT ALONG WITH RESOURCES IS A IS A GREAT IDEA AND ALSO SHARING RESOURCES ABOUT THE FACT THAT RETALIATION AGAINST WORKERS FOR COMING FORWARD IS COMPLETELY ILLEGAL AND WHAT YOU DO IF YOU ARE RETALIATED AGAINST AS WELL IF THESE GO ONLY TO THE RESTAURANT OWNERS OR MANAGERS PER WHATEVER INFORMATION WE HAVE IN THE ACTUAL VIOLATIONS BUT BY YEAH THAT'S A GREAT IDEA THAT I WILL DEFINITELY KEEP TAKE NOTE OF THINK YOU KNOW OF COURSE YEAH BECAUSE I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU KNOW I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH TIME DOES AN EMPLOYER HAVE TO RESPOND TO THIS OR TO ACT UPON IT? THERE'S NO RESPONSE REQUIRED. IT'S BASED IT'S THE RESPONSE WE SHARE IT WITH THE LICENSING BOARD TO LET THEM KNOW AS WELL THAT THESE VIOLATIONS HAVE COME UP SO THAT THEY CAN THEN USE THAT IS THEY RECEIVE WHATEVER APPLICATIONS FOR RENEWAL IF THEY WANT TO ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS HOLD A HEARING THEY HAVE THAT INFORMATION BUT WE DON'T REQUIRE ANY FOLLOW UP THE LETTER IS JUST WE ARE WATCHING. WE KNOW THAT THESE VIOLATIONS HAVE HAPPENED. REACH OUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND JUST A REMINDER THIS IS THE LAW. I KNOW THAT LOU MENTIONED THAT WE CAN'T ENFORCE THOSE THE CITY CANNOT ENFORCE WHEN IT COMES BUT CAN THERE BE SOMETHING THAT SAYS YOU HAVE TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOU WILL TAKE THE APPROPRIATE STEPS BECAUSE I JUST I MEAN I THINK IT WAS COUNCILOR MEJIA THAT SAID IT THAT WE DON'T A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T ACT IN GOOD FAITH AND AT LEAST OUR THING WE CAN GET A RESPONSE FROM THEM YOU YEAH I MEAN I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION. I MEAN YOU KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO DIRECT ENFORCEMENT. I MEAN I THINK WE CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT TIPTOE RIGHT UP TO THE PRECIPICE OF ENFORCEMENT. SO WE FIND A BUNCH OF VIOLATIONS. CAN WE CORRELATE THEM AND SEND THEM TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AS A PACKAGE AND THEN FOLLOW UP ON WHAT THEY DO? CAN WE DO THAT WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR? CAN WE SET UP WORKING GROUPS OR TASK FORCES THAT YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OR THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR? I THINK IS A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO TO SPUR ENFORCEMENT EVEN IF WE CAN'T NECESSARILY DO ENFORCEMENT SO RIGHT. SO I THINK THAT'S A FAIR ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.  I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE M-16 FORM WHEN WE HAD DESIGNED IT OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A WISH LIST OF THE M-16 FORM AND THEN OVER TIME IT GOT, YOU KNOW, AMENDED AND DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS HAD IT I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE IT IS NOW BUT IT ASKS THOSE KIND OF BACKGROUNDS AND QUESTIONS AND THEN IF WE HAD STRATEGICALLY DESIGNED A DATABASE THAT HAS THOSE COPIES OF THOSE WE CAN CROSS REFERENCE THEM AS JODY MENTIONED IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR STAFF DOES.  BUT AGAIN IT GOES TO THE ISSUE OF COMPLIANCE RESOURCES. YOU HAVE ONE STAFF WORKING ON TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT ORDINANCES CROSS-REFERENCING VARIOUS DATABASE WHICH WE DON'T HAVE BY THE WAY YET BECAUSE WE WERE DESIGNING IT IN OFFICE. OBVIOUSLY YOU ALL ARE VERY SMART. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH A DATABASE WOULD CAUSE AND THEN A SOPHISTICATED ONE.  THEN YOU ROLL IT OUT AND THEN YOU GET OTHER AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THEIR BUY IN. IT IS A PROCESS TO TAKE SERIOUSLY AND RIGHT NOW WE JUST IT'S ALL BY WORD OF MOUTH AND IF I PICK UP THE PHONE AND ASK JODY AND AND LOU TAGS ME THEN WE ADDRESS IT. BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE BASED ON YOU KNOW, WHO'S CALLING WHO BUT RATHER THERE IS A FINITE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY THAT'S THAT FLAG THAT WE'RE VERY SOPHISTICATED IN I.T IN THE CITY AND IN FACT MAYBE THE WORLD BUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS JUST REALLY TAKES ME BACK ON WHY WE'RE NOT SO SOPHISTICATED AND RIGHT AND IT ALSO LIKE MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT IF WE HAD THAT DATABASE AND WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS BY BRINGING IT BACK TO THE LICENSING DEPARTMENT LIKE LET'S SAY ONE OF THESE RESTAURANTS THAT YOU KNOW, OUR GROUP COME IN IN WAGE THEFT AND THEY'RE APPLYING FOR A NEW LIQUOR LICENSE.  LIKE WHY WOULD WE GIVE THEM A LIQUOR LICENSE WHERE THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THEM WITH PAYING THEIR EMPLOYEES CORRECTLY? SO I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO CROSS SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY AND WHICH I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION ABOUT IF THE IF THERE IS A BUSINESS OR AN EMPLOYER THAT IS COMMITTING WAGE THEFT, IS THERE LIKE A TAX PENALTY FOR THEM?  NO, THAT'S NOT A THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT EXISTS NOW. OKAY.  I MEAN THERE ARE VARIOUS WAYS TO ENGAGE IN ENFORCEMENT THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF THE TAX PENALTY FOR IT AND I ACTUALLY BECAUSE IF THERE MAY WELL ACTUALLY YOU KNOW, I SHOULDN'T SAY THAT I MEAN IF THEY'RE NOT DOING PROPER WITHHOLDING THEN THAT KIND OF A SITUATION THAT CAN BE THAT'S WHAT I THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT REPORTING CORRECTLY, THE CITY OF BOSTON IS MISSING OUT ON REVENUE IN TERMS OF TAX.  SO I'M THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE ENFORCE THAT ONCE IT'S ALL FIGURED OUT AT THE COURT? YEAH, CERTAINLY THE IRS CAN PURSUE THEM AND RIGHT OFF OFTEN DOES IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE AND THERE ARE MANY CASES I'LL SAY IN WHICH WORKERS SUCCESSFULLY GO GO THEMSELVES WITH A LAWYER WITH THE SUPPORT OF A UNION OR WORKER CENTER AND GET A FINDING THAT THEY'RE OWED WAGES AND THEN THE EMPLOYER JUST IGNORE IT. AND IN THOSE CASES I THINK WE CAN HAVE PARTICULAR LEVERAGE BECAUSE WHEN A WHEN WE HAVE A BUSINESS THAT'S BEEN A HAD SHOWN TO HAVE WAGE THAT PIECES BUT IS PAID THEIR FINES THEY'RE WORKERS AND NOW WE'RE EMPLOYING WORKERS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THEIR JOBS WE CAN KEEP AN EYE ON THEM WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY'RE CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THROUGH IF THERE'S A RESTAURANT WHO'S HAD A FINDING OF WAGE THEFT BUT HAS FAILED TO PAY THEIR WORKERS, THAT'S A CASE WHERE WE MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT POWERS WE MIGHT HAVE IN LICENSING TO HAVE THEM PAY THEIR WORKERS THE WAGES DO BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD AGAIN DEPENDING UPON OUR ABILITY AND OUR WHATEVER LICENSING WHAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF POWER WITH REGARD TO THE LICENSE PROCESS THAT'S PERFECT AND YOU KNOW THAT'S BEFORE I CONCLUDE, I THINK THAT MY OVERALL MESSAGE TO YOU ALL AND TO EVERYONE IN THE CHAMBER IS THAT IF THE EMPLOYER IS GETTING AN INFORMATION, LET'S MAKE SURE THE EMPLOYEE GETS THE SAME INFORMATION SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH FOLLOW THROUGH. BUT WITH THAT I'D LIKE TO YIELD BACK THE REST OF MY TIME AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEAR FROM THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU. COUNSELOR PEPEN AND I APOLOGIZE I MADE AN ERROR WHEN I WAS IN AS TO WHO WAS NEXT. IT'S OUR COUNSELOR LOUIJEUNE FLYNN AND THEN WITH ME . THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE MAKERS FOR BRINGING US THIS MATTER BEFORE US.  HOPEFULLY WE CAN BRING IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. I JUST I WANT TO THANK LOU FOR YOUR FRAMING ABOUT WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT WHICH I THOUGHT WAS REALLY HELPFUL. PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYERS ARE BAKING INTO THEIR BOTTOM LINE THEFT AND THAT MAKES PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING TRYING TO HIRE UNIONS AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING PAID A LIVING WAGE . IT MAKES IT MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND I THINK IT'S THAT IMPORTANT FRAMING THAT REALLY EXPLAINS WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT IN ADDITION TO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE AREN'T EXPERIENCING THEFT IN THE SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE CITY TO LIVE THE LARGEST CASE OF WAGE THEFT THAT WE SEE IS MISCLASSIFICATION AS THAT IS THAT RIGHT?  RIGHT. DOES IT DEPEND I THINK IT'S A QUESTION FOR JOEL AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE BUT MISCLASSIFICATION CERTAINLY IS RIGHT UP THERE WHICH IS WHY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OF LABOR DIVISION TAKES IT SO SERIOUSLY.  I THINK IT'S A WIDE RANGE NOT BEING PAID OVERTIME BEING PAID UNDER MINIMUM WAGE. THOSE ALL ARE IN THERE AS WELL NEW EARNED PAID SICK TIME LAW THAT THAT'S NOW PART AS WELL CAN BE CONSIDERED WAGE THEFT. I THINK THE FAILURE TO PAY TIMELY AND COMPLETE WAGES I IMAGINE IS A MEDICAGO THREE THAT'S AN ENORMOUS WHETHER IT'S LARGER THAN MISCLASSIFICATION I DON'T I DON'T KNOW. OKAY IT'S COUNCILOR WEBER I BELIEVE OFFERED A AN IDEA THAT OF FOLKS WHO VIOLATE THIS BE PREVENTED FROM ACTUALLY HAVING CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY AND I WOULD LIKE US TO EXPLORE THAT IN THIS CONVERSATION BUT IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE BROUGHT UP REPEATEDLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BOSTON RESIDENTS JOB POLICY AND THINK ABOUT HOW DO GET MORE SERIOUS WITH WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE COMPLIANT WITH THE BJP TO USE CARROTS AND STICKS. AND SO JUST TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT LIKE IS THAT SOME THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO OR ARE WE MARCHING TOWARDS THAT BOTH IN THIS SCENARIO AND IN B R JP OBVIOUSLY WHICH ALSO COMES WEBER HAS BEEN SHEPHERDING THIS TURN. YEAH I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS THE DATABASE SO THAT IT CAN BE VERY CLEAR FOR OUR CONTRACTING PROCUREMENT STAFF. OBVIOUSLY DISCLOSURE TAKES IT TO A CERTAIN DEGREE BUT MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN DOUBLE CHECK THAT THAT THAT DISCLOSURE MATCHES WHAT IS THE ACTUAL REALITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT I THINK FOR THE BOSTON RESIDENT JOBS POLICY. THE FIRST STEP WE'RE TAKING THERE IS THE NEW DASHBOARD WHICH WE'RE WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU ALL AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THAT AT OUR OUR HEARING IN OCTOBER WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE TO SEARCH BY CONTRACT AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE CONTRACTOR'S HISTORY WITH THE BOSTON RESIDENT JOBS POLICY COMPLIANCE SO THAT CAN BE USED EITHER THROUGH PROCUREMENT OR IF YOU'RE A GENERAL CONTRACTOR WHEN CHOOSING THOSE SUBCONTRACTOR AS WITH YOU YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHO'S HAD A BETTER BETTER DATA, BETTER NUMBERS. WITH REGARDS TO BOSTON RESIDENT JOBS POLICY. SO THE FIRST STEP IS UNDERSTANDING AND DATA COLLECTION. I THINK AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE DATABASE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US HERE AS WELL. THANK YOU.  YEAH AND HAVING THE DATABASE TO SEE IS GOING TO BE GREAT AND THEN TO BE ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT AS A TOOL?  AND THEN LASTLY THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE PASSED THIS ORDINANCE.  I THINK SOME ARE WILL PASS IT IN 2018 OR 2019. OTHER CITIES.  WHY HAS IT BEEN TAKEN US A BIT OF A LONGER TIME LIKE WHAT ARE WE LEARNING? WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM THEM? WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO GUARD FOR IN THE INTENTIONALITY WITH WHICH WE WILL BE MOVING WITH THIS ORDINANCE?  WELL, I MEAN I'VE BEEN AT IT YOU KNOW, BACK WHEN I WAS STILL A PRACTICING LAWYER. YOU KNOW, WE WORKED ON THIS IN A LOT OF CITIES AND TOWNS.  YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A KEY PREROGATIVE OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO PASS A WAGE THEFT ORDINANCES PART OF THE PART OF THE MAYOR'S PLATFORM. I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE WE GOT HERE. I MEAN I KNOW IT'S BEEN YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT THING. WE HAD SOME OTHER STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, WENT IN FRONT OF IT.  BUT IT'S BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT GOAL TO PASS A WAGE THEFT ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE CAME IN. BUT YOU KNOW, HAVING THE STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO DO IT, SETTING UP THE CABINET, GETTING THE CABINET UP AND RUNNING AND STAFFED AND HAVING IT LED AND BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO DRIVE THIS. SO THERE'S BEEN SOME PREDICATE STEPS THAT HAVE SLOWED US DOWN BUT YOU KNOW NOW THERE'S NO TIME LIKE NOW AND DO WE KNOW HOW IT'S BEEN WORKING IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS?  I KNOW I KNOW THAT THE ONE IN CHELSEA HAS BEEN VERY I HAVE HEARD DIRECTLY FROM LABOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT IT'S BEEN SOME A TOOL THAT THEY'VE RELIED ON. I BELIEVE THE SAME IS TRUE IN LYNN. I KNOW I'VE HEARD THAT ONE. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A NORTH HAMPTON ON THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE. I'VE HEARD OF LABOR ORGANIZATIONS AND WORKERS RELY ON THAT BUT I AM NOT AWARE I'M NOT AWARE OF A SORT OF SEND TOOL REPOSITORY DEALING WITH HOW EFFECTIVE THEY'VE BEEN IN GENERAL. OKAY. THANK YOU. I WOULD ALSO ADD TO IS THAT BOSTON IS SO COMPLEX AS A CITY WITHIN THE STATE I DON'T THINK THERE'S MUCH COMPARABILITY THERE.  I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE CITY OF SEATTLE'S OFFICE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OR RACIAL EQUITY OFFICE HAS SOME COMPARABLE MECHANISMS THAT WE'VE STUDIED THAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. OBVIOUSLY SAN FRANCISCO, OUR CITY CITY TO CITY LEARNING PARTNER HAS GOOD COMPARISONS BUT I THINK AGAIN IT REALLY BOUNCES OFF TO THE STATE LAW THAT HELPS YOU INTERTWINED WITH THE COMPLIANCE STRUCTURE IN YOUR AG'S OFFICE SO WE'RE STILL LEARNING ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT BUT I WOULD I WOULD HESITATE TO COMPARE BOSTON'S EFFORT TO CHELSEA OR SOMERVILLE FOR EXAMPLE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU KNOW, SOME WORKERS ARE TRANSIENT ACROSS THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD LINES.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHIEF. THANK YOU, JEFF.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN.  AND THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.  AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE.  JODY, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND ONE OF YOUR WORKSHOPS A WHILE BACK IN CHINATOWN AND IN INTERN AS WELL KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND YOU YOU INCLUDED THE CHINESE PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIA ATION.  THE DISCUSSION WAS VERY INFORMATIVE IT WAS AND WAS IN CANTONESE AS WELL WAS TRANSLATED INTERPRETED AND IT WENT OVER VERY WELL AND I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR TEAM'S WORK ON THAT ISSUE. AND SO MY QUESTION IS IF SOMEONE IS BEING EXPLOITED SAY AT A RESTAURANT RESTAURANT WORKER, DO THEY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE TALKING TO SOMEONE IN THEIR COMMUNITY LIKE LIKE THE CHINESE PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY LABOR UNITED OR DO THEY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE GOING TO A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL?  YEAH, I THINK THEY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE GOING TO A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION WHICH IS WHY WE'VE WORKED SO CLOSELY WITH THE WORKER CENTERS AND THAT'S THOSE PARTNERSHIPS HAVE BEEN REALLY CRITICAL TO OUR KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WORK.  WE KNOW THAT A THEY HAVE LANGUAGE CAPACITY TRUST,  EXPERTISE, HISTORY SO THAT'S PART OF OUR WORK THIS YEAR. IT'S BEEN PART OF OUR ENFORCEMENT, A PART OF OUR WAGE THEFT STRATEGIES THIS YEAR AND WILL CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE IN THE PARTNERSHIP TO REALLY CRITICAL AND WE IT'S IT'S BUDGET WE PAY OUR PARTNERS TO DO THE WORK WITH US THANK YOU JODY IN TRAN I I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE LITERALLY FOR SIX SEVEN YEARS AND YOU'VE DONE A YOU'VE DONE A TERRIFIC JOB AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS WELL. WE TALK ABOUT THE BOSTON JOBS POLICY, BOSTON JOBS FOR BOSTON RESIDENTS POLICY YOU KNOW UNDER MAYOR'S WHEN WE ALL ESTABLISH THE BOSTON EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION BASICALLY TO ENFORCE THAT POLICY.  SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE, YOU KNOW AND I SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE 1,000% THAT WE'RE PROPOSING BUT WHEN THIS IS PASSED AND I THINK YOU'VE TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT MAYBE IF YOU CAN GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION WHAT IS THE ENFORCEMENT PIECE OF IT AND HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WORKERS WHEN THEY DO HAVE WHEN THEY ARE EXPLOITED THAT THERE WILL BE SOME PENALTY, THERE WILL BE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR JUSTICE AND THAT BOSTON WILL FOLLOW UP TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE DO HAVE THIS ORDINANCE IN PLACE THAT THERE IS SOME LEVEL OF ENFORCEMENT TO IT. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN AND I RESPECTFULLY LIKE TO CORRECT YOU IT'S NOT SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, IT'S TEN YEARS. THAT'S TEN. THAT'S WAY TOO LONG. SO I MEAN ONE OF THE THINGS AND ONE OF THE CHARGE OF THE CABINET IS TO STREAMLINE THE COMPLIANCE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE CITY.  SO YOU HAVE BJP, YOU HAVE LIVING WAGE ORDINANCE, YOU HAVE PREVAILING WAGE SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORDINANCES AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND LEGACY PROGRAMS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEARS. THEY'RE ALL WELL-INTENDED AND GREAT BUT WE NEED TO FIND A STANDARDIZED EFFICIENT WAY OF MAKING IT SIMPLER FOR BUSINESSES BECAUSE AGAIN WE NEED THE BUSINESSES WE WANT TO DO BUSINESS IN BOSTON AT THE SAME TIME WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUSINESSES THAT WE'RE DOING DOING WORK WITH ADHERE TO VALUES STATEMENTS AND IN LAWS AND SO WE'RE BALANCING THAT BY CREATING AN INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGET AND STREAMLINING THAT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE TEN STAFF FOR THIS, FOUR STAFF FOR THIS OR SIX STAFF. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT OVERHEAD CALL MEETS THE NEEDS OF BUSINESSES AND WORKERS AT THE SAME TIME.  NOW WE'RE STARTING A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS OVERALL FOR THE CABINET BUT WE DO WANT TO HONE IN ON BRINGING SOMEONE ON WITH ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENT SKILLS SO THAT THEY CAN HELP STREAMLINE A LOT OF THAT AND YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU HAVE THAT STREAMLINED PROCESS AND A PLAN, OBVIOUSLY THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO GET THE BUY INS FROM DEPARTMENTS THAT MATTER. SO FOR EXAMPLE PROCUREMENT AUDITING THE LAW DEPARTMENT,  YOU KNOW THE PLANNING AGENCY THAT DOES THE ARTICLE 80 PROCESS BECAUSE WE KNOW CONSTRUCTION HAPPENS THERE AT ZIVA AND GETTING THOSE INFLUENCE LEADERS TO BUY IN AND THEN TRAIN STAFF FROM FRONT LINE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SUPPLY CHAIN OF EACH AGENCY. SO THERE'S REAL BUY IN, YOU KNOW, FROM THE ENTIRE AGENCY IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND I WOULD REITERATE WHAT LOU HAS STATED IS THAT THE MAYOR WHO IS DEDICATED AND BELIEVES IN THIS WORK I AM SO HAPPY THAT THIS HAS RESURFACED BACK BECAUSE THAT ENERGY NEEDS TO BE REFOCUSED TO DO BETTER.  THANK YOU.  MY FINAL QUESTION WOULD BE WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS WE HAVE SEEN WORKERS THAT WERE INJURED ON THE JOB,  HURT ON THE JOB IN SOME CASES UNFORTUNATELY AND DIED ON THE JOB MANY TIMES THE FAULT IS WITH THE COMPANY FOR NOT ADDRESSING SAFETY ISSUES.  MY QUESTION IS THAT IN AND IN MY OPINION THAT COMPANY SHOULD NOT RECEIVE A CITY CONTRACT UNTIL ALL SAFETY ISSUES ARE RESOLVED IN THAT WORKERS FAMILY IS TREATED FAIRLY. SO I WANT TO COMPARE THAT SITUATION TO THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE AGAIN WHICH I SUPPORT. BUT ARE WE ARE WE STILL ARE WE HOLDING THESE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY TYPE OF INJURY THAT A WORKER FACES IN ON THE JOB AND WHAT TYPE OF PENALTY HAVE WE ALREADY IMPOSED ON COMPANIES? SO SO WE CAN USE THIS AS AN AS AN EXAMPLE FOR ENFORCEMENT WHEN WHEN WE'RE DOING THIS ORDINANCE AS WELL I CAN I CAN ANSWER THAT IT COMES MORE IN PLAY AT THE TIME OF PERMITTING WHEN SOMEONE IS SEEKING A BUILDING PERMIT WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THAT'S EITHER A BUILDING PERMIT WITH A CITY OR PERMIT WITH A PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT BECAUSE AS WE KNOW TRENCHING AND ROADWORK CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS . THEY NEED TO DISCLOSE ANY PREVIOUS OSHA VIOLATIONS THROUGH THE MADIX HIGGINS AFFIDAVIT. THAT'S ONE PIECE OF IT. BUT THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND LEADERSHIP WE DID PASS A NEW ORDINANCE AND THAT WENT INTO EFFECT OF DECEMBER 20, 23 THAT IN ADDITION WE TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER ANYBODY WHO'S SEEKING A PERMIT MUST ALSO SIGN AN AFFIDAVIT THAT THEY HAVE DONE A HAZARD ASSESSMENT AND THAT THEY HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE TO PROTECT THEIR WORKERS AND THAT THEY ARE GOING TO TRAIN WORKERS IN A LANGUAGE THEY UNDERSTAND ON THAT PLAN AND THAT FOR PROJECTS LARGER THAN 50,000 SQUARE FEET, THERE'S SOMEONE ONSITE AT ALL TIMES A SITE SAFETY COORDINATOR AGAIN, THIS IS AT THE TIME OF PERMIT. THIS IS AN AFFIDAVIT BUT WE HAVE REALLY WORKED HARD TO ENSURE THAT EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IS PART OF IT. LAST YEAR WE DID TRAINING FREE OSHA 30 TRAINING AND FREE OSHA TEN TRAINING ENGLISH AND SPANISH. WE'RE DOING IT AGAIN THIS YEAR BECAUSE THOSE CONTRACTORS AND IT WAS SOLD OUT CONTRACTORS ARE LOOKING FOR THAT HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING THAT DOESN'T GET IT THE CONTRACTING AND THERE'S CURRENTLY NO DISCLOSURE PROCESS AROUND OSHA VIOLATIONS AT THE TIME OF CONTRACTING.  IT'S FOCUSED ON WAGE THEFT BUT IT DOES WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR PERMITTING BECOME VERY IMPORTANT AND THAT'S EITHER WITH PUBLIC WORKS OR THE INSPECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT BUILDING PERMITS.  THANK YOU, JERRY. MADAM CHAIR, MY OUT OF TIME.  I'VE BEEN VERY LAX WITH TIME SO IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION PLEASE FEEL FREE TO KNOW. I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL TO MY COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN.  I HAD SAID 6 MINUTES BUT EVERYBODY HAS SUCH GREAT QUESTIONS. DON'T LET EVERYBODY GO. COUNCILOR MURPHY THANK YOU, CHAIR.  THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT AND ANSWERING THE GREAT QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKED.  I SEE THIS AS YOU KNOW THREE PARTS WE HAVE UNION JOBS THAT ARE WORKING ON PROJECTS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.  WE HAVE SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS IN BOSTON AND WE ALSO HAVE CITY CONTRACTS AND LICENSES RIGHT.  AND MONIQUE MITCHELL, SHE'S ALREADY DONE THE WORK RIGHT.  SHE TRACKED AND CROSS-REFERENCED AND I MEAN 30% OF THE WAGE THAT VIOLATIONS ARE ATTACHED TO PEOPLE THAT WE GIVE CONTRACTS TO. SO WHY DO WE EVEN ALLOW THEM TO START THE BID PROCESS IS MY QUESTION. YOU KNOW WHY WOULD WE EVEN GIVE THEM OR ALLOW THEM TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION BECAUSE WE KNOW WHEN IT'S LOWEST BIDDER GETS THE JOB.  MANY TIMES PEOPLE WONDER HOW DID THEY LOWBALL THAT BID SO MUCH? IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE PROBABLY PLANNING ON MAKING CUTS SOMEWHERE AND IF THE CUTS ARE RELATED I WOULD ASSUME 30% OF THEM ARE EXPECTING TO MAKE A PROFIT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FOLLOW THESE. SO WHY DON'T WE ALREADY JUST STOPPING IT AT THAT POINT AND THEN WAITING FOR A LETTER LIKE AND EVEN THE WAY IT'S WORDED FROM THE LAST EXECUTIVE ORDER. AND I DO APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATIONS WE ALREADY HAD ABOUT DO WE PUBLICLY SHAME LIKE LOU WAS SAYING BUT THEN YOU WERE SAYING JODY BUT THEN WE DON'T WANT THE COMPANY TO COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. IS THE DATABASE ACCURATE OR LIKE COUNCILOR PEPEN SAYING LIKE DO THE EMPLOYEES ALSO BUT DOES THE EMPLOYER HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST REPORT LIKE ARE WE SURE THAT THE LETTER THAT GOES OUT IS ACCURATE OR DO THEY HAVE A CHANCE LIKE ONCE MAYBE WE CHECK ALL THE BOXES SO LOTS OF QUESTION BUT WHY DO WE EVEN ALLOW THEM TO FILL UP? I MEAN THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO WANT WORK.  IT'S NOT LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE APPLYING FOR THESE BIDS.  AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE 30% IS ACTUALLY LICENSED SO 30% HAVE LICENSE AND 4% HAD CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY BOSTON. SO IT'S A SMALLER NUMBER WITH CONTRACTS THANKFULLY, BUT IT IS LARGER THAN 25. I MEAN A LOT OF BIDS COULD BE MULTIPLE SMALL BID TOTAL THAT PERCENTAGE IS HIGHER END OF THE STREET SHOVELING CONTRACTS AND OTHERS ARE SMALL BID 510 BUT IF YOU HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF THOSE SMALL ONES THAT ADDS UP. YEAH NO 100% AND WE ASK FOR DISCLOSURE AT THE TIME OF BIDDING AND I THINK AT THAT POINT IT'S IT'S UP TO PROCUREMENT LAW TO DEFINE HOW DO WE MOVE THROUGH IT. I'M LEERY OF ANYTHING.  NO, I MEAN I YOU KNOW, ASIDE FROM I MEAN MUCH OF THE WORK WE'RE GOING TO DO HERE I THINK IS GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEM YOU'RE HIGHLIGHTING AND THAT AGAIN IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK SHOULD OCCUPY A LOT OF REAL ESTATE AND WORK IN SESSION BECAUSE PROCUREMENT AND LICENSING LAW GROUND ZERO FOR MAKING SURE THIS ORDINANCE WORKS SO IT IS RIGHT NOW I MEAN IF YOUR LICENSE IS IT ALWAYS A YEAR LICENSE YOU COULD BE 12 MONTHS OUT, YOU COULD BE A WHILE BEFORE AND IT DOESN'T EVEN SAY THAT THEY WILL ABSOLUTELY DENY IT. IT MAY CONSIDER OR SO HOW CAN WE CAN WE LEGALLY TIGHTEN UP EVEN THAT LANGUAGE AND I KNOW THAT WAS SOME OF THE STUFF THAT COUNCIL WEBER PUT IN.  HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE WRITE A NEW ORDINANCE THAT IS ADDRESSING WHAT I WOULD ASSUME WAS EXACTLY WHAT MAYOR WALSH WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT IT ACTUALLY GIVES US THE TOOLS OR DO WE HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL TO JUST SAY SORRY YOU'RE A LITTLE BITTER ABOUT OR YOU I WOULD SAY STOP IT BEFORE THEY EVEN SUBMIT IT BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE MORE LEGAL BATTLES TO SAY WELL, THEY WERE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT THEIR CONTRACT KNOW HERE AGAIN I MEAN I THINK THAT'S A THAT'S A QUESTION WE NEED TO ANSWER BECAUSE I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU'RE RIGHT.  I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT WE SHOULD BE GOING AFTER. BUT AT THE SAME TIME TOO, IF WE PASS A WAGE THEFT ORDINANCE THAT GETS THE CITY SUED AND THE ORDINANCE GETS ENJOINED BECAUSE WE TRY TO DO SOMETHING WE CAN'T LEGALLY DO, THAT'S NO GOOD EITHER. SO RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST WE CAN DO AND IF IT'S TRUE THAT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE IS THE BEST WE CAN DO, WHAT OTHER TOOLS TO BE HAVE TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON IT. RIGHT. SO I THINK HOPEFULLY WE HAVE THOSE ANSWERS BEFORE IT PASSES AND ALSO THERE IS THAT DILEMMA, RIGHT? THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE IF YOU SHUT THEM DOWN IT'S A BIGGER IT COULD BE RIGHT. BUT THEN IF WE'RE IGNORING THE EMPLOYERS I THINK THEY ARE MORE IMPORTANT IN THIS CASE.  ONE QUESTION SURE. MAYBE YOU COULD HELP WITH THIS ONE BUT MANY TIMES AND YOU SAID IT DON'T WANT TO COME THEY'RE NOT GOING TO COME INTO CITY HALL. THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO CALL THE CITY COUNCIL'S OFFICE . MAYBE THEY'LL GO TO LIKE THE BRAZILIAN WORKFORCE OR THEY'LL TALK TO, YOU KNOW, AT A COMMUNITY MEETING. BUT IF AN EMPLOYER DOES NOT WANT TO FILE A COMPLAINT BUT SOMEBODY ME OR ANYONE KNOWS YOU KNOW SOMEONE'S DAUGHTER MOTHER KNOWS THAT IT'S HAPPENING.  WHAT RIGHTS DO DOES SOMEONE ON THEIR BEHALF HAVE TO FILE IT?  IT'S CHILDREN IN THERE. YES. YES YOU CAN ANYBODY CAN FILE ON BEHALF OF OTHER WORKERS. THERE'S AN ONLINE FORM AT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOUR ROLE IS FRIEND, FAMILY COWORKER IT IS ALSO CAN BE COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS SO WORKERS THEMSELVES CAN CAN SAY THAT THEY'RE ANONYMOUS AND BE REALLY CLEAR THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR EMPLOYER KNOWS THAT IT'S NOT THEM THAT'S FILED THIS COMPLAINT. SO THERE'S LOTS OF PROTECTIONS FOR WORKERS BECAUSE RETALIATION IS THOUGH ILLEGAL VERY COMMON TO ENSURE THAT THAT THEY HAVE THOSE PROTECTIONS.  OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY, BEFORE WE WRAP UP, I JUST WANT TO BRING SOMEBODY DOWN WHO'S BEEN VERY PATIENT AND TAKING TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY TO COME AND PROVIDE PUBLIC TESTIMONY BEFORE WE GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE SECOND PANEL. SO IF YOU WANT TO COME DOWN TO ONE OF THESE PODIUMS, STATE YOUR NAME NEIGHBORHOOD AND AFFILIATION. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT COUNCILOR MEJIA WILL YOU BE PROVIDING I'M GOING TO PUT MY COLLEAGUE COUNCIL PUTTING TO WORK HE'S GOING TO BE PROVIDING TRANSLATION BALLOT YOU HAVE SALVADOR SANTORO ME NUMBERS MANUEL RAMIREZ HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MANUEL RAMIREZ YEAH GO AND WAS BORN ERIKA SO THEY LOOK TOWARD PASANDO CON LAMPLEY I THOUGHT I WAS OUT OR I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT MY CASE WITH MY EMPLOYER WHO I WAS EXPERIENCING ABUSE ME AS AND SEE FIRM WITH THIS I GOT AROUND A AJAKAYE A DURAN THE CUATRO MAY I SAY A TOLLWAY TRABALHANDO PARA IS UP ARIZONA LA AGUILERA THEY SAY A MAN THE OTHER LA MANANA THOUSANDS SAY THEY LAUNCHED YOU . I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAD AND I WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR THE FOUR MONTHS WHERE I WOULD START MY DAY AT 630 IN THE MORNING AND AT 11 P.M. AT NIGHT A DECENT SIMPLY DON'T SEEM NORMAL THE TROUBLE HE GETS IT HE CANNOT GO RESPONDIO LOOK AND MAYBE RATHER OKAY YO DANNY I GUESS IT SEEN AND DOING A LOT OF WORK AND TASK THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE JOB REQUIREMENT WHEN I WAS GIVEN THE JOB YEAH I THAT PLAYS A THEME POKER TO WHERE LAVORANDO PARA AND I SENT THE WOMAN THEY SEE THE NO END IAN TONES RECOMMENDS A LA FOR ALL MY THEY ALL ME YES YOUR NO PROBLEM AS A CALL ME AND SAKUMA I WILL THYRAMIR THEY LOOK AT DON'T TELL ME SMALL ALCALA BARBARA THEN A LA PERSONA PARA LIKE I DO AND AFTER THE FOUR MONTHS OF EXPERIENCING THIS THIS KIND OF WORK ABUSE I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE RETALIATION FROM THE EMPLOYER TO THE POINT WHERE EVEN THE UNION THAT I WAS RENTING THE HE HAD SOME OWNERSHIP OF IT. I EXPERIENCE IN LOSING THAT UNIT AS WELL A I THINK JOE COULD OKAY ETERNAL ALL MY DAYS SENDING ALL MINE OR YET CAME AS WELL NO PROTECTION NO ONE GOT OUT OKAY I'M A PROBLEM ATTACK MENTALITY OF MY SENTI COMO UN AMBASSADOR AND THIS TYPE OF EXPECTATION THAT I EXPERIENCE REALLY AFFECTED ME AND I FELT LIKE TRASH A A SMOOTHIE FISHING PAROLE A WERE KNOCK JOB IS THAT PEOPLE THAT PERSONAS BEARING BULK LOW JOB FEEL LONELY GO TO WAR L BY LAW BUT ARE THE SAME MASCOT OUT OF LOW PAID OR MUCHOS NOT PULL THE ARROW MORE JOSE K THAN KAJIADO PEOPLE GET THEIR MAIN KILLER PASSES I'LL GO MILO YOU KNOW IT TOOK A LOT FOR ME TO SPEAK UP BUT IN REALITY I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT DECIDED TO SPEAK UP AND THERE WERE SO MANY MORE OF US THAT WERE EXPERIENCING THE SAME TYPE OF WORK ABUSE IN THAT AT THAT JOB JUST PAYROLL CAME INTO SAY I'LL GO GET REAL MEN THE BODYGUARD LA PENA, JACK JOE OH NO NO. I WOKE UP ALL ME  I'M BEING POOR TRAPPED PERSONA PERSONA THEY CANNOT SEND THE CASE TO SAY THEY RAN THE COMPARISON. I APPLAUD OKAY THE TRIAL PAYROLL LOGO AS WELL NOT REALLY . THERE ARE MORE THESE THEMED I HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GO SOMEWHERE WITH THIS BECAUSE AT THIS POINT I'M NOT EVEN DOING IT FOR MYSELF.  I'M DOING IT FOR A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS EXPLOITATION AT THE WORKPLACE BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT NO HUMAN SHOULD BE EXPERIENCING.  BUT I CONCLUDED JOKER CAN WE PALABRA CARE THIS GODIVA BLOCK JOSE ANTI NSA LUGER JACKET CAMO YOU ONLY THEY SEE I MEAN MEN THEY GO TO GO GET ONE DAD BOOK YOU'RE SO YOUR LAUNDRY A THING OKAY TRAVEL HAD BUT A MANDATED WHATSAPP BUT I BUT BUT IT'S TARAJI THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING BUT I WILL TELL MYSELF THAT AS A MAN I TO PUT UP WITH IT IN ORDER TO BRING MONEY TO THE TABLE AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IT FOR MYSELF AND THAT'S WHAT I WILL CONTINUE TO TELL MYSELF AS QUANTUM THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COURAGE AND YOUR BRAVERY COMING FORWARD. WE'LL COLLECTIVELY WORK TOGETHER TO AS LOU AND INTRODUCE THIS TERM TO ME VINDICATE YOUR RIGHTS AND LUPE AND ALL THE RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS.  I'LL PASS IT OVER TO COUNCILOR MEJIA WHO HAS A QUESTION. EMMANUEL WHATEVER YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO BRING ONTO A CANOE TO YEMEN TO THE CONDUCTOR COMING OFF HE'S TO THE KEY TO THAT RICIN TALKING IN DELIVERY AND AS A MAN UNDER THE SEA, CORRECT? YEAH. SO JUST SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT SO HE HAD REACHED OUT TO MY OFFICE AND WHAT I WAS FOUND TO BE ALARMING IS THAT THE RATE OF PAY FOR THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT HE WAS WORKING HE WAS GETTING PAID 300 TO $500 A WEEK FOR WORKING OVER 80 SOMETHING HOURS AND SO THAT WAS PRETTY ALARMING TO ME AND ALSO THE OTHER PIECE OF THE STIGMA SEE AN EMBARGO NO PROGRAM WHICH IN THE UK IN LA PARTE DE LA PLATA THEY PAY A BODY THAT BUT THOUGH THEY THEY SAW THAT THAT OUR OTHER SERIE A GRECO MONA COSTA MORE MOIETY AND NOW TO BRING IT EVEN FURTHER AT THIS POINT EVEN MY BODY HAS BEEN INFECTED WHERE I CAN I CAN'T SIT FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME BECAUSE I WAS STANDING FOR SO LONG THAT I HAVE TO MOVE MY BODY IN A WAY THAT IS ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE WAY I WAS WORKING. BUT I THINK THAT POLICY MADE SO THEM BEING ON VIDEO A HOCKEY TEAM.  SO THE OTHER PIECE OF THE STORY IS IS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL BROUGHT HIM HERE FROM A DIFFERENT COUNTRY TO WORK UNDER VERY INTERESTING CONDITIONS AND SO I WANT TO JUST NOTE THAT FOR THE RECORD IN TERMS OF THESE CONVERSATIONS RIGHT, THAT THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN PEOPLE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE TO LOSE POINT WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT STATUES AND WHAT'S HAPPENED WHAT HAS HAPPENED THERE THAT'S LABOR TRAFFICKING LATE. THERE IS SOME REAL SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES THAT WE NEED TO REALLY START LOOKING INTO IS BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE COME FORWARD AND IT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO TO TELL YOUR STORY TO DO SO PUBLICLY IN A SPACE LIKE THIS IT TAKES COURAGE.  AND SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND MY COWORKER AND I GOT WHAT YOU SEEK IN FARSI AND YOU GOT AT THE BASE ADC TO HISTORIA THE NAME AND THE COURAGE VOLUNTEER LEVEL AND THEY PUT A CONTACT TO AQUI PUBLIC IN THE SERVICE AND THE CONSEQUENCES GET THEM TO INTO PLAY THROUGH THE VEHICLE BUT YOU KNOW I BELONG YOU KNOW THESE YOU LOOK AT THEM PASANDO THEY LOOK LIKE A GAMBIAN SO BALOTELLI THAT I SUPPOSE WE YOU LUCKY YOU HAD TO VITORIA COULD NOT GET US OURSELVES THEY CAME ABLE TO GO TO PUERTO A GRASSY AIRPORT GOES TO ITALY SIMMERING UNDER THE TABLE PAID BUT I CAME UP ARIZONA'S SAIPAN LA REALIDAD THEY TOLD I WAS AT ORTIZ A PLOT AT ALL RIGHT THEY'RE PERSONA K SOLAMENTE THEY SAY VIOLATING THEIR SOCIAL CONSCIENCE IN THE END THOUGH BUT A PITY MEAD ALAS THEY MUST PUT US ON NATIONAL OPENING THANK YOU TO YOU FOR FOR BRINGING MEJIA FOR OPENING OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE EXPERIENCING AND WE NEED TO BRING LIGHT TO THIS EXPLOITATION.  THANK YOU ASSIGNMENT AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO TAKE THE MIKE THE CHAIR FOR I JUST FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME PARTS TO HIS STORY THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE RELEVANT TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUT I SEE HIM AS THE PERSON THAT I DON'T GET TO GET OUT AT ALL AT THE LEVEL PEOPLE GET US INTO. TELL THE MORE DO YOU SEE MY HEROES SCATTERED ALL OVER PRESENT DAY AND GET OUT CORPORATE CULTURE TO ME TESTIMONIAL E DOMINGUE AND CONSIDERATION K K TO FLIP ON ME CASE I TOLD MY PASSION ME PEDRO WE ARE SO MUCH A PERSON I CANNOT DO WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT INTO RIGHT YET AT THE DAY WHEN HE DIES BORN ED CASTLE BALTIMORE ACTUALLY PUT IT UP I SAID I'LL GO PALE THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.  THIS NOT ONLY HAPPENS TO ME THIS HAPPENS TO SO MANY OF US THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS ON A DAILY BASIS AND THAT THEY'RE SCARED OF WORK RETALIATION FROM THEIR EMPLOYERS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU TO MY CREW AND TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE. YOU DIDN'T TAKE THEM OUT. YOU'RE PASSING THE MIC TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY LIVING THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING THROUGH AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ALWAYS DO AND I RESPECT THAT. SO I APPRECIATE YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY WELL, I DO HAVE A ONE COMMENT JUST ABOUT THE DATABASE AND DO IT JUST UNDERSCORING THE IMPORTANCE OF DO IT TO MY COLLEAGUES COME THE BUDGET I ALWAYS PUSH THAT FORWARD AND ADVOCATE FOR THEM. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. I GUESS MY ONE QUESTION IS IF THAT WORK IS COMING OUT OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET OR THEY'RE DOING IT OUT OF THEIR OPERATIONAL BUDGET IF THAT'S A QUESTION I HAVE TO FOLLOW UP ON IF IT'S BUILDING A SOFTWARE PROGRAM TYPICALLY TO THE CAPITAL. BUT YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE I ASKED FOR HELP AND THEY CAME TO HELP US BUT I CAN FIND OUT HOW THAT'S WHAT WHAT IT IS THAT'S PAYING FOR THEIR TIME. GREAT. THANK YOU AND I A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS ARE GOING TO COME OR SHOULD BE FOCUSED IN ON THE WORKING SESSION ABOUT HOW TO GRANT AUTHORITY TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS TO THE LICENSING BOARD AND ALL OF THAT. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION. I PASS IT TO MY COLLEAGUE FOR A CONCLUDING REMARK IS WHAT HE HAD FRAMED IT AS. YEAH WELL THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS AND YOU KNOW I BUT ONE OF THE MAIN DRIVERS OF WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS HEARING IS BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT THE OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE HAS ALREADY DONE IN LOOKING BACK YOU KNOW, YEARS BACK TO 2019 AND FINDING THAT SO MANY OF OUR PEOPLE BECAUSE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER WAS THERE BUT YEAH, IT WASN'T REALLY BEING ENFORCED. WE WERE AWARDING CONTRACTS TO PEOPLE WITH WAGE THEFT VIOLATIONS AND SO I JUST I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND THANKS FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE UP UNTIL NOW.  THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANK YOU YOUR TIME.  NEXT UP WE'LL HAVE A PANEL ON BEHALF OF LOCAL UNIONS AND COMMUNITY. WE HAVE TERRY GERSTEIN ON ZOOM WHO'S THE FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THE NYU WAGNER LABOR INITIATIVE THERE. SO DARLENE LAMBOS GREATER BOSTON LABOR COUNCIL IF YOU FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND TAKE A SEAT, I I'M MORE THAN WELCOME TO WE HAVE NOEL XAVIER FROM THE NORTH ATLANTIC STATES REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS CHARLES TOWNS VERY OWN FRANK MURRAY LOCAL SEVEN UNION WORKERS WHOSE PRESIDENT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND CHAT IN GREEN ON ZOOM WHO IS FROM THE GREATER BOSTON BUILDING TRADES UNION AS FOLKS ARE GETTING SITUATED HERE IN THE CHAMBER I'LL PASS IT TO TERRY IF YOU ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO START WITH YOUR TESTIMONY. YES.  YES. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY AND I JUST WANT TO CHECK AND MAKE SURE I'M TRYING TO SHARE MY SCREEN IS THAT WORKING PROPERLY? IT IS WORKING. WE CAN SEE YOU HEAR YOU AND ALSO SEE YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU.  SO I'LL START OUT JUST BRIEFLY INTRODUCING MYSELF MY NAME IS TERRY GERSTEIN. I DIRECT THE NYU WAGNER LABOR INITIATIVE WHICH AMONG OTHER THINGS HELPS STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS GET MORE EFFECTIVE IN PROTECTING AND ENFORCING WORKERS RIGHTS.  PREVIOUSLY I RAN A SIMILAR PROGRAM AT THE HARVARD CENTER FOR LABOR IN A JUST ECONOMY AND BEFORE THAT I WORKED FOR 17 YEARS ENFORCING LABOR STANDARDS LAWS IN NEW YORK INCLUDING AS THE LABOR BUREAU CHIEF IN THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE . SO I'M GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AND JUST SHARE SOME THOUGHTS ON ORDINANCE. AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR I'M NOT HERE AS AN ADVOCATE. I'M HERE AS SOMEONE MORE OF AN EXPERT CAPACITY.  SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE SOME OF THE NATIONAL CONTEXT IN TERMS OF WHY IS THERE SO MUCH WAGE THEFT. WE'VE HEARD FROM THE BOSTON TEAM ABOUT SOME OF THE STATISTICS IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT I WANTED TO ZOOM OUT AND GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT ABOUT WHY THIS IS SO FREQUENT. ONE IS THAT THERE ARE REALLY INADEQUATE ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES. MASSACHUSETTS HAS ONE OF THE MORE ROBUST STATE ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES IN THE FAIR AND LABOR DIVISION IN THE AG'S OFFICE? MANY STATES DON'T HAVE ANY OR VERY FEW LABOR INVESTIGATORS AND AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR IS WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION ONLY HAS 664 INVESTIGATORS FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY WHICH IS THE LOWEST LEVEL THEY'VE EVER HAD. LOU MAN DO WE NEED TALKED ABOUT THE UNION DENSITY IN BOSTON AND IN MASSACHUSETTS THAT I THINK HE SAID IT WAS AROUND 14%.  I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.  GENERALLY PUBLIC SECTOR DENSITY IS HIGHER THAN IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.  THAT VERY LOW UNION DENSITY RATE ALSO ENABLES MORE LABOR VIOLATIONS. NOT ONLY DOES IT MAKE IT HARD FOR WORKERS TO REPORT VIOLATIONS AS HE DESCRIBED BUT IT ALSO BECAUSE THERE'S FEWER PLACES FOR WORKERS TO GO. BUT UNIONS BASICALLY WHEN THEY'RE IN A WORKPLACE ACT AS ONSITE MONITORS AND THEY MAKE IT EASIER FOR WORKERS TO REPORT VIOLATIONS WITHOUT BEING AFRAID OF RETALIATION. THEN THERE'S ALSO THE GROWTH OF FORCED ARBITRATION AND CLASS WAIVERS WHICH SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF WHICH OFTEN PREVENT WORKERS FROM BEING ABLE TO BRING THEIR CASES IN COURT AND THEY ALSO PREVENT WORKERS FROM BEING ABLE TO BRING A CLASS ACTION AND WHETHER WHAT THIS DOES IN PRACTICE IS THAT IT EFFECTIVELY EXTINGUISHES THEIR CLAIMS, THERE'S RESEARCH SHOWING THAT ABOUT 98% OF THE CLAIMS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IF WORKERS COULD HAVE GONE TO COURT ARE NOT ON WORKERS ARE SUBJECT TO MANDATORY FORCED ARBITRATION AS A CONDITION OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT. SO THAT PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENT ACTORS AND PUBLIC ENFORCEMENT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.  AND THEN THERE'S THE PROBLEM OF THE FIRING WORKPLACE, THE FIRING OF THE WORKPLACE WHICH BRANDEIS PROFESSOR DAVID VILE HAS. HAS HE COINED THAT TERM AND THAT IS INCREASINGLY COMPANIES USING SUBCONTRACTING ARE OUTSOURCING TEMP STAFFING AGENCIES AND THAT ALSO LEADS TO A HIGHER RATE OF VIOLATIONS FOR VARIOUS REASONS INCLUDING THAT EACH LAYER NEEDS TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, THE INTERMEDIARY THE MIDDLEMAN NEEDS TO MAKE SOME MONEY. AND SO THESE ARE ALL FACTORS THAT LEAD TO REALLY WIDESPREAD IMPUNITY.  AND I WANT TO SHARE A FORMULA THAT IS REALLY COMMON SENSE BUT ECONOMISTS CAME UP WITH IT AND WROTE ABOUT IT AND IT'S BASICALLY THAT EMPLOYERS WON'T COMPLY WITH THE LAW THAT THE EXPECTED PENALTIES ARE SMALL EITHER BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO ESCAPE DETECTION OR BECAUSE THE PENALTIES ARE TOO SMALL.  SO IN OTHER WORDS THE LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLIANCE FOR UNETHICAL PLENTY OF EMPLOYERS DO COMPLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE COMPLIANT BUT OF THE UNETHICAL EMPLOYERS THE LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLIANCE IS KIND OF A FUNCTION OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING CAUGHT AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF GETTING CAUGHT.  AND SO I THINK THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT LICENSING AND PERMITTING THAT IS ONE WAY OF SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE COSTS OR CONSEQUENCES OF GETTING CAUGHT. SIMILARLY WITH PROCUREMENT THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE GETTING IT AROUND THE COUNTRY, ARE GETTING INVOLVED IN AND PROTECTING WORKERS RIGHTS SOME OF THEM YOU'VE ALREADY DONE HERE IN BOSTON LIKE CREATING A DEDICATED LOCAL LABOR OFFICE BUT ONE OF THEM THAT I REALLY WANT TO WANT TO FOCUS ON DURING THIS CONVERSATION IS THE ONE THAT IS NUMBER SEVEN ON THIS LIST WHICH IS LABOR INFUSING LABOR CONSIDERATIONS INTO CONTRACTING AND INTO LICENSE HOLDING AND THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND I'M A COLLEAGUE AND I FROM A COLLEAGUE FROM LOCAL PROGRESS WHICH IS A NETWORK OF LOCAL PROGRESSIVE ELECTED OFFICIALS SHE AND I WROTE A REPORT ABOUT WHAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE DOING ON WORKERS RIGHTS IN GENERAL AND THEN THIS YEAR RECENTLY WE WROTE ANOTHER REPORT SPECIFICALLY FOR LOCALITIES IN STATES THAT HAVE STATE PREEMPTION OF LOCAL LAWMAKING.  AND SO WHILE BOSTON DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME KIND OF LOCAL PREEMPTION THAT STATES THAT CITIES DO IN FLORIDA OR TEXAS, THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS THAT MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS REPORT RELEVANT FOR BOSTON AS WELL? I THINK SO IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT PROPOSAL AND THE CURRENT ORDINANCE PROPOSAL,  THERE ARE A LOT OF STRONG COMPONENTS OF IT. YOU KNOW THE BASIC GOAL IS OBVIOUSLY ENSURING THAT PUBLIC FUNDING DOESN'T GO TO BAD ACTORS WHO HAVE A HISTORY OF REPEAT OR EGREGIOUS OR UNRESOLVED VIOLATIONS INCORPORATING LABOR CONSIDERATIONS INTO THE LICENSING AND PERMITTING PROCESS BOTH IN THE INITIAL APPLICATION PHASE AND IN AN ONGOING MANNER USING LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO HELP WORKERS NAVIGATE OTHER RESOURCES. AS WE HEARD THE BOSTON TEAM TALKING ABOUT THAT IT'S EASIER FOR WORKERS OFTEN TO GO TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THEN CREATING PUBLIC DISCLOSURE RESOURCES LIKE THE DATABASE OF VIOLATORS. SOME OF THE I HAD AS I REVIEWED THE PROPOSAL WHICH IS QUITE LONG AND I DIDN'T I DON'T KNOW EVERY DETAIL OF THE FINE TO COME BUT SOME OF THE INITIAL TOP LEVEL REQUESTS AND THOUGHTS I HAD ONE WAS ABOUT CAPACITY AND WHETHER THE OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE AND WORKER PROTECTION WOULD HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR EXAMPLE TO REVIEW ALL APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSES THAT SEEM LIKE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK AND IT SEEMS MORE VALUABLE TO INCORPORATE LABOR COMPLIANCE CHECKS INTO THE EXISTING PROCESSES OF THE LICENSING AND PERMITTING ENTITIES. AND THEN THERE'S A QUESTION ALSO OF RIGHT SIZING CONSEQUENCES AS WE'VE YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD IN THE PRIOR TESTIMONY ABOUT HOW SOME VIOLATIONS ARE INADVERTENT AND END OR MAYBE DE MINIMIS WHILE OTHERS ARE REALLY INTENTIONAL.  AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT LICENSING AND PERMITTING CONSEQUENCES AND REQUIREMENTS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF DISTINCTION AND CLEAR GUIDANCE FOR THE CITY OFFICIALS WHO ARE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING THIS ABOUT YOU KNOW WHAT ARE THE RIGHT CONSEQUENCES FOR WHAT LEVEL OF VIOLATION I THINK THIS ISSUE OF IMPLEMENTATION BY THE LICENSING AND PERMITTING AGENCIES IS SO IMPORTANT. AS I READ THE DRAFT ORDINANCE IT SEEMED ONLY TO REQUIRE INFORMING THE AGENCIES ABOUT VIOLATIONS BUT DIDN'T REALLY REQUIRE THEM TO TAKE SPECIFIC ACTION. AND SO I THINK THAT REALLY IT NEEDS TO BE VERY, VERY CLEAR UNDER THE ORDINANCE UNDER THE STATUTE AND IN TERMS OF LIKE IMPLEMENTATION THAT THE LICENSEE AND PERMITTING AGENCIES HAVE CERTAIN REQUIRED ACTIONS THEY HAVE TO TAKE AND THEN PROCUREMENT AGAIN IT'S THE SAME THING TO THE EXTENT YOU CAN GET THE PROCUREMENT OFFICERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND I KNOW THAT PROCUREMENT IS DECENTRALIZED WHICH CAN MAKE THIS DIFFICULT BUT TO THEMSELVES INCORPORATE LABOR CONSIDERATIONS INTO THE THEIR OWN PROCESSES WITHOUT NEEDING CONSTANT INVOLVEMENT BY THE CITY LABOR OFFICE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO I THINK IS REALLY A GREAT MODEL FOR DOING THIS WORK AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU INVITE THE DIRECTOR BRANDON BUTLER TO SPEAK WITH YOU AND TO TESTIFY AT SOME POINT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE CITY OFFICE WAS CREATED TO DEVELOP PROTOCOLS FOR DENIAL SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF LICENSES, PERMITS OR COUNTY CONTRACTS. AND SO THEY'VE REALLY BEEN WORKING ON THAT. THEY CREATED A WAGE THEFT JUDGMENT DASHBOARD WITH ALL THE WAGE THEFT JUDGMENTS IN THE CITY, IN THE COUNTY AND BOTH SANTA CLARA AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY HAVE IMPLEMENTED PROGRAMS THAT ARE ONE OR TWO YEARS OLD IN WHICH WHEN RESTAURANTS HAVE OUTSTANDING UNPAID WAGE THEFT ORDERS UNDER THE STATE LABOR COMMISSIONER'S ORDERS THE COUNTIES ARE BASICALLY SENDING LETTERS TO ALL THE RESTAURANTS IN THE COUNTY THAT HAVE NOT PAID THE MONEY THAT THEY'RE OWED THAT ARE OWED TO WORKERS AND THEY SEND A LETTER SAYING IF YOU DON'T PAY WHAT YOU OWE, YOUR LICENSE WILL ULTIMATELY BE SUSPENDED IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY IT'S FIVE DAYS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY IT'S INDEFINITELY AND BASICALLY YOU CAN SEE HERE IT'S AN INFOGRAPHIC WHAT SAN DIEGO COUNTY IS DOING. THEY SEND ONE LETTER, THEY SEND AN ANGRY LETTER AND THEN YOU KNOW, MORE STERN LETTER AND THEN AT THE END THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYERS TO HAVE A HEARING AND CURRENTLY THEY HAVE I THINK THREE HEARINGS THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO WITHDRAW RESTAURANTS PERMITS TO OPERATE BECAUSE OF UNRESOLVED OUTSTANDING FINAL ORDERS OF WAGE THEFT.  AND THIS IS JUST SOME DATA FROM THE PROGRAM.  I'LL NOTE A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE IS THAT WE HAD THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS IN THE PRIOR PANEL ABOUT FINAL ORDERS AND I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT FROM A DUE PROCESS PERSPECTIVE AND HERE THESE WERE ALL FINAL ORDERS BY THE STATE LABOR COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE. ONE UNFORTUNATE THING ABOUT ASPECT OF THIS PROGRAM IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE DELAY IN INVESTIGATING AND GETTING A FINAL ORDER IN A CASE, THE PERMITTING RESULT IS SOMEWHAT AND THERE'S A TIME LAG BETWEEN THE WAGE THEFT AND THE PERMITTING CONSEQUENCE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY IN SOME CASES IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY FOR EXAMPLE AND IN OTHER PLACES THERE'S JUST A CATCH ALL PROVISION THAT SAYS THE ENTITY HAS TO YOU KNOW, THE PERMITTING AND ENTITY HAS TO FOLLOW ALL LOCAL ORDINANCES OR STATE LAWS OR REGULATIONS AND SO THEY'VE USED THAT AS BEING SUFFICIENT AS A BASIS FOR DOING THIS. SAN DIEGO ALSO HAS TRAINED THEIR PROCUREMENT OFFICERS AND USING THEIR WAGE DASHBOARD THEY CREATED A PROGRAM FOR CROSS-CHECKING WAGE THEFT COMPLIANCE WITH BUILDING PERMITTING SO WHEN A BUILDING ASKS FOR WHEN A CONTRACTOR ASKS FOR A BUILDING PERMIT THEY CHECK TO SEE ABOUT THE WAGES OF COMPLIANCE AND THEN IN CERTAIN CONTRACTS WITH THE COUNTY THEY'RE HOLDING BACK 5% IN A WAGE THEFT RETENTION FUND SO THAT IF THERE'S WAGE THEFT ON THE PROJECT THERE'S MONEY TO PAY. THE NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE RECENTLY CREATED AN EMPLOYER VIOLATIONS DASHBOARD AND EMPLOYER WALL OF SHAME AND INCLUDES NOT ONLY IT INCLUDES LOCAL VIOLATIONS OF THE LOCAL PAID SICK LEAVE AND OTHER LAWS BUT ALSO STATE LAW ALSO CERTAIN FEDERAL LAWS THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT, OSHA, THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF BENEFITS TO THIS DASHBOARD INCLUDING YOU KNOW, IDEALLY IT WILL ENABLE PROCUREMENT OFFICERS TO READILY CHECK AND SEE WHEN THERE IS A CONTRACT GOING OUT. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF A GIVEN EMPLOYER. ALSO ONE OTHER BENEFIT OF THIS KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE DASHBOARD AS WELL WE HEARD SO POIGNANTLY ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A WORKER FACING WAGE THEFT AND WORKER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SAID THAT THIS KIND OF DASHBOARD IS VERY EMOTIONALLY IMPACTFUL FOR WORKERS BECAUSE THEY CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE AND THEY CAN SEE THAT IF THEIR EMPLOYER HAS A HISTORY OF VIOLATIONS.  AND THERE'S ALSO AS I NOTED, AN EMPLOYER WALL OF SHAME HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE VERY WORST ACTORS THE NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE ALSO HAS THE PUBLIC DATABASE OF ALL CITY CONTRACTS. SO BOSTON IMAGINE BOSTON HAS SOMETHING SIMILAR BUT IF NOT THAT'S USEFUL FOR CROSS-CHECK IN THE VIOLATIONS AND THE CITY CONTRACTS A FEW OTHER EXAMPLES IN AUSTIN, TEXAS THERE'S A WAGE THEFT OFFICER WHO CHECKS VIOLATIONS OF POTENTIAL CITY CONTRACTORS IN FLORIDA THERE ARE SOME COUNTIES THAT HAVE CREATED THEY CAN'T THEY'RE PREEMPTED BY THE STATE BUT THEY'VE CREATED MEDIATION TYPE PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS WAGE THEFT. SO EVEN THOUGH THEY CAN'T STRICTLY ENFORCE IT, THEY BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND TRY AND MEDIATE IT. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CITIES THAT HAVE GRANT PROGRAMS THAT AWARD FUNDS TO WORKER CENTERS AND ADVOCACY GROUPS AND IN SOME OF THOSE CASES, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF BOSTON CAN'T DIRECTLY ENFORCE WAGE THEFT, WHAT CAN IT DO IF THERE'S IF IT'S NOT A CONTRACTOR OR PERMIT OR LICENSE IN SOME OF THESE CASES LIKE IN IOWA, YOU KNOW, THE STATE ISN'T VERY ACTIVE.  THE STATE LABOR DEPARTMENT ISN'T VERY ACTIVE. THERE'S NO LOCAL ENTITY AND SO THERE ARE SEVERAL LOCALITIES THAT SIMPLY GIVE GRANTS TO WORKER ORGANIZATIONS WHO THEMSELVES CAN BRING CASES. THE D.C. AG'S OFFICE ALSO GIVES GRANTS TO WORKER ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEMSELVES FILE LAWSUITS AND THEN THE DENVER MAYOR'S OFFICE ALSO PLAYS THE NAVIGATOR ROLE THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT. A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS I'M ALMOST FINISHED THE REGARDING CONTRACTING LICENSING AND PERMITTING. ONE IS THAT THERE ARE OPTIONS BEYOND THE BINARY OF EITHER DENYING OR REVOKING A CONTRACT OR A LICENSE OR A PERMIT OR DOING NOTHING RIGHT.  IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALL OR NOTHING. YOU CAN REQUIRE A WIDE BOND LIKE THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE INNOVATIVELY DOES. YOU CAN SUSPEND THE LICENSE OR PERMIT FOR A FINITE PERIOD ON A CONTRACT. YOU COULD REQUIRE THIRD PARTY INDEPENDENT MONITORING TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE YOU CAN DO SAN DIEGO'S 5% RETENTION. YOU COULD REQUIRE CERTAIN ACTIONS BY THE EMPLOYER LIKE MAKE THEM GO THROUGH TRAINING AND THEN I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND PEOPLE REVIEW JOBS TOO OF AMERICA IS AN ADVOCACY GROUP THAT CREATED A US JOBS PLAN THAT REQUIRES BIDDERS ON CONTRACTS TO GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE JOBS THEY'RE GOING TO CREATE AND ALL OF THE WAGES THEY'RE GOING TO PAY AND THEN INCORPORATES THOSE TERMS INTO THE CONTRACT AS A MATERIAL TERM OF THE CONTRACT. AND THEN MY FINAL THOUGHTS ARE AS YOU THINK ABOUT WAGE THEFT, ONE GOAL IS REDRESS FOR WORKERS AND ANOTHER GOAL IS PREVENTION . I TEND TO FOCUS A LOT ON PREVENTION BECAUSE I'D RATHER NOT HAVE THIS HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE, THEN HAVE IT HAPPEN AND HAVE GOOD WAYS OF ADDRESSING IT. BUT I THINK AS YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THIS IT'S REALLY VALUABLE TO THINK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC FORMULA OF , YOU KNOW, COMPLIANCE OF UNETHICAL EMPLOYERS DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, THE LIKELIHOOD OF DETECTION AND HOW BAD THE CONSEQUENCES ARE GOING TO BE AND PERMET YOU KNOW, LOSING A PERMIT, HAVING A LICENSE SUSPENDED EVEN FOR FIVE DAYS CAUSES REPUTATIONAL HARM, FINANCIAL HARM AND OTHERWISE THAT REALLY CHANGES CAN CHANGE THE CONSEQUENCES AND CHANGE THE CALCULUS FOR EMPLOYERS.  BUT YOU DO NEED TO HAVE VERY CLEAR AUTHORITY AND DIRECTION FOR GOVERNMENT ACTORS WHOSE MAIN JOB IS NOT LABOR RELATED IN THE LICENSING AGENCIES THEY MAY FEEL LIKE THIS IS NOT MY JOB.  LIKE WHY ARE YOU WHY ARE YOU ADDING THIS INTO WHAT I ALREADY DO?  AND I THINK HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND AND GIVING THEM VERY CLEAR LEGAL AUTHORITY AND VERY CLEAR DIRECTIVE THAT THIS IS NOW PART OF THEIR JOB IS VERY IMPORTANT.  THAT'S ALL I HAVE AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. TARA, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING SUCH A ROBUST AND COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION AGAIN FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND EVERYBODY ELSE. THIS IS WITHIN THE FOLDER I'M SURE WE CAN STAND TO BENEFIT FROM YOUR NATIONAL EXPERTISE AND WHAT PROVIDED HERE FOR US. SO JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND PROVIDING THAT PRESENTATION. WE WILL TRANSITION TO A LOCAL EXPERTISE WITH SOME OF OUR LOCAL LABOR LEADERS HERE. I WILL DEFER TO YOU ALL WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST BUT AGAIN WE HAVE DARLENE LAMB, BOSS FRANK MURRAY AND THEN OH MY GOODNESS, I'M SO SORRY . I THINK THIS IS ME YOUR NAME, SIR.  I APOLOGIZE. NO, NO, I'M OKAY. DARLENE.  OKAY, DUDES, ARE YOU TELLING ME TO GO FIRST? SO I SHALL THESIS BOSTON CITY COUNCIL FOR THIS HEARING TODAY . THIS IS SO STRANGE BECAUSE LIKE I HAVE THIS WHOLE SPEECH WRITTEN AND I'M LIKE I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS THING I'VE BEEN LIKE AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR TEN YEARS MORE THAN THAT AND BEFORE THAT WAGE SENSE WAS HAPPENING SO EVEN DECADES BEFORE I JUST FEEL LIKE I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR AND IF YOU EVER WANT TO KNOW THE STORIES OF WHAT WE DID IN THE VERY BEGINNING TO GET A COALITION OF WORKER CENTERS AND UNIONS TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH THIS VERY LEGISLATION, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF BOTTOM UP LEGISLATION WHERE PEOPLE CAME IN A ROOM WHO ARE MOST AFFECTED BY THE ISSUES AND CRAFTED IDEAS AND THEN WE WORKED WITH LOU AND LAWYERS TO SAY WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN GET IN POLICY? SO BACK IN 2014 WE WERE DOING STATE WIDE LEGISLATION AND TRYING TO BRING ATTENTION TO WAGE THEFT BUT ALSO DOING MUNICIPAL ORDINANCES. THERE ARE ABOUT ALMOST 20 ACROSS THE STATE THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED. SOME ARE STRONGER THAN OTHERS. BOSTON WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT DID AN EXECUTIVE ORDER BECAUSE WE WANTED AN EXAMPLE VERY FAST THAT WAS A MOVEMENT BUILDING OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE A MAYOR THAT WAS WILLING TO DO THAT. NOW WE HAVE A MAYOR THAT'S WILLING AND A CITY COUNCIL THAT'S WILLING TO PUSH THIS EVEN FARTHER AND TO CODIFY ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE. SO I JUST WANTED TO GET A LITTLE BIT ON STORY BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THIS LEGISLATION IS THE WORK OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST AFFECTED BY THE ISSUES BEING BROUGHT TOGETHER BY A COALITION COMMUNITY LABOR UNITED WITH UNIONS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS AND WORKER CENTERS TO THEN CRAFT FROM THEIR OWN IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DEAL WITH WAGE THEFT. SO I LOVE THE EXAMPLES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN OTHER CITIES IN OTHER STATES. I'M TELLING YOU THIS WHAT YOU'RE DOING TODAY IS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF BOTTOM UP LEGISLATION.  SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT I ALSO JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WORKING SO CLOSELY WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION ON MAKING THIS SUCH A STRONG PIECE OF LEGISLATION BECAUSE IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES, IT ACTUALLY TAKES A BACK AND FORTH OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS WHO'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHILE AND ALSO PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE IN CRAFTING AGAIN UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY AND MAKING THIS HAPPEN.  AND WE LIKE TO SAY TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK. SO WE ARE REALLY I KNOW IT'S LIKE SO LONG IN COMING BUT I'M GLAD WE'RE CODIFYING ACCOUNTABILITY.  I ALSO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT OUR FIRST ACTION WAS IN 2014 AND IT WAS RIGHT HERE IN BOSTON THE GREATER BOSTON LABOR COUNCIL TOOK LEADERSHIP IN DOING AN ACTION AMC LOEWS HERE IN DOWNTOWN BOSTON.  THEY WERE CONTRACTING TO A CLEANING COMPANY AND SIX WORKERS WERE NOT GETTING PAID AND THEY FOUND THEMSELVES THEY WERE LIVING IN CHELSEA AND THEY FOUND THEMSELVES OVER AT ONE OF OUR WORKER CENTER STRONGEST WORKER CENTERS CHELSEA COLLABORATE NOW KNOWN AS LA COLLABORATIVE. THEY HELP THEM FIND FILED A CASE WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATION SAID THEY OWED $29,000 IN BACK WAGES SO THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, FEES FOR NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH FOLLOWING THE LAW.  THIS CLEANING COMPANY. RIGHT. THAT WAS SUBCONTRACTED BY AMC LOEWS OVER A YEAR LATER THEY STILL HAD NOT BEEN PAID SO WE DIDN'T ACTION 150 PEOPLE WALKED INTO THE LOBBY OF AMC LOEWS AND SAID YOU SHOULD PAY THESE WORKERS AMC LOEWS, YOU'RE CLEANING COMPANY IS NOT PAYING THE WORKERS WITHIN 48 HOURS THERE'S A CHECK FOR $29,000 OVER AT LOCAL LEVEL AT THE RATE SO THIS IS ALSO ABOUT POWER AND POLITICAL WILL AND SO YOU CAN SAY THINGS LIKE I KNOW WHAT TO SAY. I DON'T KNOW I WROTE IT DOWN ADJUDICATED ADJUDICATION AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT CONSTITUTES THESE THINGS. AT THE END OF THE DAY PEOPLE AREN'T GETTING PAID.  THEY'RE NOT GETTING PAID. AN HONEST DAY'S WORK FOR AN HONEST DAY'S A NICE DAY'S PAY FOR AN HONEST WORK AND THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE WE NEED OUR WORKERS IN THIS CITY TO BE PAID FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND WE NEED THEM TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITIES TO MAKE OUR OUR OUR COMMUNITY STRONG SO THAT'S THE CONNECTION. THAT'S JUST WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. SO I DON'T KNOW I SAID SOME I HAD SOME OTHER THINGS BUT I HAD SOME STATS AND FACTS AND ALL THAT. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW THAT. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT WE AS UNIONS AND WORKER CENTERS WALKED INTO AMC LOEWS AND GOT THE COMPANY TO PAY BACK WAGES BECAUSE THERE WAS WORKER POWER IN THAT ROOM AND THEY SAW THAT WE NEED GOVERNMENT TO BASICALLY HELP US OUT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO STILL BE OUT ON THE STREETS AND STILL WALK INTO AMC, LOEWS OR WHEREVER WORK SITE IS BEING VIOLATED OR A VIOLATION IS OCCURRING.  BUT WE NEED GOVERNMENT TO WORK WITH OUR EMPLOYERS TO WORK WITH US TO GET THEM TO FOLLOW THE LAW.  BASIC FOLLOWING THAT.  GOOD AFTERNOON. DUE TO THE CHAIRS IN THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY ON THIS ISSUE OF WAGE THEFT AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WHICH IS WHAT I'M GOING TO SPEAK MORE ABOUT THROUGH MY LENS AND WHAT I DO MY NAME IS NIALL XAVIER. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZING FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC STATES REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS . OUR UNION AND OUR ORGANIZERS WORK EVERY DAY TO SHED LIGHT ON THE ACTIONS OF UNSCRUPULOUS CONTRACTORS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY WORKER IS AWARE OF THEIR RIGHTS AND TO HELP WORKERS GET PAID JUST LIKE DARLENE WAS TALKING ABOUT. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION THERE'S WE'RE GOING TO BE TRYING TO WORK ON PUTTING SOME STRONGER MAYBE LANGUAGE INTO THE ORDINANCE HERE IN BOSTON.  WE'VE BEEN PART OF DIFFERENT ORDINANCE CONVERSATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS AND HELPING PASS DIFFERENT ORDINANCE LANGUAGES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH AS WELL. WE WE HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON SOME PLACES WHERE THE ORDINANCE CAN BE IMPROVED.  WE YOU KNOW, AS A WORKING SESSION GETTING INTO THE DETAILS OF THE LEGALESE WE HAVE ATTORNEYS THAT WORK WITH US THAT THAT'LL BE HELPFUL. BUT JUST IN A LARGER KIND OF CONTEXT I THINK THERE'S SOME ROOM FOR ENCOURAGING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS FOR A CERTAIN TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE CITY, CREATING UP THE CHAIN LIABILITY AS WELL.  AND ALSO IT'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ON JUST THE APPLICATION OF OTHER TYPES OF TAX TAX RELIEF AND NOT JUST TIPS. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT CONTRACTORS AND DEVELOPERS RECEIVE MONEY FOR THEIR PROJECTS AND I THINK THERE IS SOME OPPORTUNITY TO INCLUDE ALL OF THAT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY IT COMES DOWN TO THE THE STICK THAT THAT THE CITY CAN HOLD OVER DEVELOPERS AND CONTRACTORS TO REALLY KIND OF SHOWCASE THAT THERE IS SOME CONSEQUENCE BECAUSE WHAT UNFORTUNATELY I SEE OUT IN IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS IS CONTRACTORS AND DEVELOPERS THAT HAVE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A SYSTEM A LEGAL SYSTEM OF BEING ABLE TO PROPAGATE THIS THIS EXPLOITATION EVEN WITHOUT HAVING LIABILITY FALL UNDER AND ALL THE LIABILITY LIABILITY FALLS DOWN THE CHAIN TO THE SUBCONTRACTOR SECOND TIER SUBCONTRACT TO THIRD TIER SUBCONTRACTOR WHERE IT'S ESSENTIALLY 20 WORKERS THAT WORK FOR SOMEBODY THAT THAT KNOWS THEM AND HAS A COMPANY BY NAME ONLY BUT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WAGE THEFT THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW HERE IN BOSTON JUST TWO WEEKS AGO OUR ORGANIZERS DOING JOB SERVICES BECAUSE MY DEPARTMENT I DO ABOUT 95% OF THE TIME WITH THE NONUNION NOT THE UNION SIDE OF THINGS AND WE'RE ON JOB SITES TALKING TO WORKERS EVERY SINGLE DAY ASKING THEM HOW THEY'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, AND HOW THEY'RE BEING TREATED, HOW THEY'RE GETTING PAID. AND WE CAME ACROSS A PROJECT HERE IN BOSTON WHERE ONE OF THE WORKERS AFTER TALKING TO ONE OF OUR ORGANIZERS CALLED HIM IN THE EVENING AND SAID HEY, I'M I HAVEN'T BEEN PAID IN A FEW WEEKS AND IT'S NOT JUST ME , IT'S 18 OTHER WORKERS HERE ON THE PROJECT WE WE ASKED THEM TO COME IN TO TO KIND OF GIVE US ALL THE DETAILS OF WHAT WAS GOING ON. SIX OF THEM CAME IN. THE OTHER WORKERS FELT INTIMIDATED FROM FROM COMING IN AND TALKING TO US. I'LL READ YOU THE THE TEMPLATE OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.  THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY CHANGES FROM WORKER TO WORKERS HOW MANY HOURS AND WAGES ACTUALLY THAT ARE OWED TO THEM. BUT THIS IS A HERE GOES I STARTED WORKING ON THIS PROJECT DOING THE WOOD FRAMING IN MAY OF 2024 I WAS TOLD I WOULD GET PAID EVERY TWO WEEKS AND THAT THERE WAS A TWO WEEK WITHHOLDING PERIOD BEFORE RECEIVING MY FIRST PAYMENT. THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE WHEN I'M WORKING IN WOOD FRAMING I RECEIVED MY FIRST PAYMENT AT THE END OF MY FOURTH WEEK OF WORK. I WAS PAID IN CASH.  WE WERE ALL TOLD THAT WE NEEDED TO WORK 10 HOURS DAILY AND WE ALSO WORKED 8 HOURS ON SATURDAY. NO OVERTIME WAS PAID FOR ANY OF THE HOURS ABOVE 40 HOURS THE PERSON WHO PAID ME WAS NAMED RAMONE. I WAS WORKING WITH 18 OTHER CARPENTERS AND WE WERE ALL PAID THE SAME WAY. FELIPE ESTRADA WAS THE FOREMAN ON THIS PROJECT.  HE WORKED FOR EVOLUTION AND DIRECTED US ON THE WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. DAILY PAYMENT ISSUES BEGAN IN THE SIXTH WEEK OF WORK. RAMONE SAID THAT EVOLUTION WAS NOT PAIN WHEN WE COMPLAINED TO FELIPE ABOUT NOT BEING PAID, HE PUT US IN CONTACT WITH THE OWNER OF EVOLUTION WHO TOLD US TO KEEP WORKING PLEASE THAT HE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS PAID BUT THAT NEVER HAPPENED.  I AM OWED X FOR THE AMOUNT OF HOURS X THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY JUST A TYPICAL SITUATION THAT WE ENCOUNTER EVERY DAY BECAUSE WORKERS LIKE THIS THAT COME FORWARD ONLY COME FORWARD WHEN THEY FEEL THERE'S NO OTHER RECOURSE AND WHEN IT'S LARGE ENOUGH THAT THEY FEEL THIS IS REALLY,  REALLY BAD. EVERY WORKER WE TALK TO KNOWS SOMEONE OR THEMSELVES IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS FIVE YEARS HAS GONE THROUGH SOME SORT OF WAGE THEFT AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING WHEN THEY EXPRESS WAGE THEFT THEY MEAN I HAVEN'T GOTTEN PAID. I DIDN'T GET PAID FOR TWO DAYS THE LAST TWO DAYS THAT I WENT TO THIS GUY I DIDN'T GET PAID FOR THE LAST WEEK THAT I WENT TO THIS GUY. I JUST DON'T WORK WITH HIM ANYMORE BECAUSE I GO INTO WORK WITH SOMEBODY ELSE. BUT THE REALITY IS THE NONPAYMENT OF OVERTIME IS INCREDIBLY RAMPANT BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S WORKING, THE WAGES ARE LOW AND TO MAKE UP FOR THAT YOU WORK MORE HOURS AND WORKERS ARE WORKING 48, 50, 60 HOURS A WEEK WHERE THERE'S NEVER ANY PAYMENT FOR OVERTIME. SO FOR US I THINK HERE IN THE CITY IF THERE'S ANY TOOLS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THROUGH AN ORDINANCE TO MAKE IT WHERE CONTRACT HOURS UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY BE PENALTIES THAT MIGHT AFFECT ME FINANCIALLY AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT I ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS THAT I SEE BECAUSE A GENERAL CONTRACTOR HE HAS A LOT OF SWAY ON WHAT HAPPENS ON HIS JOB SITE EVEN THOUGH THEY HIDE EVERY DAY BEHIND THE LAWS THAT EXIST AND SAY EVERYBODY DOWN TO CHAIN HAS SIGNED A CONTRACT AND THEY SAID THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE LAW. SO IF AN ENFORCEMENT AGENCY COMES AND KNOCKS AT MY DOOR, I POINT THEM AT THEM. BUT THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR HAS A LOT OF SWAY WITH WHO THEY HIRE TO BUILD THE PROJECTS AND WHEN ALL WE HEAR ALL DAY LONG IS THAT WE NEED TO GO WITH THE LOWEST BUDGET THAT IS THAT IS THAT IS THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE LOWEST BUDGET IS A BUDGET REACHED BY UNLAWFUL MEANS. AND WHEN YOU'RE COMPARING EVERYBODY ELSE FORGET COMPARING IT EVEN TO UNIONS COMPARING A LOW BUDGET WITH A NONUNION CONTRACTOR THAT DOES WHAT HE'S SUPPOSED TO DO AND PAY THE TAXES AND PAY THE INSURANCES AND PAY ALL THAT THERE'S A PRICE DIFFERENCE OF UPWARDS OF 30% WITH A CONTRACTOR THAT DOESN'T PAY ANY OF THOSE BY LAW MANDATED TAXES AND INSURANCES. SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO ANY ANY ANY HELP THAT WE CAN PROVIDE IN HELPING WITH THE PROCESS, WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU, FRANK.  IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO IN THEN MR GREEN, I KNOW YOU'RE ON DECK WAITING. WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU. YOU'LL GO AFTER MR MARK. GO AHEAD.  ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR . WHOEVER COUNCILWOMAN HERE IN COUNCIL MURPHY FOUR IN THE PAST COUNCIL THAT WE'RE IN HERE AND ALSO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY IN PAST GOVERNMENT THAT HAS PUT THIS ON THE FOREFRONT THROUGHOUT THE CITY BECAUSE IT IS THE KIND OF STUFF YOU KNOW, LIKE LIKE JUST A LIMBO SET EARLIER. IT'S YOU CAN PREPARE THESE SPEECHES AND GET ALL THESE STORIES AND YOU KNOW, IT'S WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE DON'T GET PAID FOR WORK ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S FROM YOU KNOW, SOMEONE THAT COMES FROM ON THE BUILDING SITES. I'M OUT ON THE JOB IF I HAVE AN ISSUE I GUESS I'LL JUST MAKE IT TOWARDS ME . IF THERE'S AN ISSUE ON MY PROJECT I HAVE A BUSINESS AGENT OR REPRESENTATIVE TO CALL AND SAY HEY, YOU KNOW THIS GUY DIDN'T GIVE ME SUCH AND SUCH HOURS ONE OR TWO EXTRA HOURS HERE OR THERE OR WE WORKED ON SATURDAY AND YOU KNOW IT'S GOT TO BE DOUBLE TIME OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND IT'S TYPICALLY VERY SIMPLE WHERE IT'S A PHONE CALL FROM THE BUSINESS AGENT TO THE SIGNATORY CONTRACT. I LIKE BLUE MANDARIN HE MENTIONED EARLIER WHO WILL LIVE UP TO THE CONTRACT.  WE'RE ALL REPRESENTED WORKERS AND THAT'S THAT'S EASY ON THE UNION SIDE ON THE NONUNION SIDE I MEAN YOU HEARD FROM OUR FRIEND EARLIER WHO SPOKE I DON'T KNOW WHAT WORKFORCE HE CAME WHAT WORK PLACE HE CAME FROM BUT WHEN YOU HEAR A STORY LIKE THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS FIRST ANGER, THEN IT'S SADNESS. IT'S MANY EMOTIONS, NONE OF THEM BEING GOOD WHEN THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT'S CHEATING A WORKER TO THAT EXTENT TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE HOUSING IT'S ALMOST LIKE A MONOPOLY IN THAT SENSE WHERE YOU LIVE, WHERE YOU WORK AND YOU PAY ME THE RENT AND YOU KNOW IF YOU DON'T DO THIS I DON'T PAY YOU AND IT'S JUST SEEMS UN-AMERICAN AND ESPECIALLY TO OUR FUTURE AMERICAN CITIZENS THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT.  I GUESS GETTING BACK TO THE UNION SIDE ON WHERE YOU KNOW I'M FROM WHICH IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE AND YOU HOPE TO GIVE EVERYBODY THAT OPTION TO TO BE ABLE TO WORK UNDER A UNION UMBRELLA AND HAVE THE REPRESENTATION THE PREVAILING WAGE RATES ARE USUALLY SET TOWARDS UNION WAGES. YOU KNOW, WHATEVER TRADE YOU MAY BE UNDER THEY THEY TEND TO REFLECT RIGHT THERE A COUPLE BUCKS OFF OF WHAT OUR WAGES ARE AS A UNION AND THE MISCLASSIFICATION YOU HEAR THAT TERM A LOT IN THIS ROOM. YOU KNOW THE CONTRACTOR IS AN IRONWORKER THAT'S WORKING ON PREVAILING WAGE JOB CALL IT A BRIDGE MAYBE OR A SCHOOL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE IT'S YOU KNOW, STATE OR CITY FUNDED TAXPAYER MONEY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MISCLASSIFY THEIR WORKER.  IF YOU'RE AN IRONWORKER YOU'RE GOING TO GET PAID X AMOUNT WE'LL CALL IT, YOU KNOW, $100 AN HOUR. BUT IF YOU'RE A CARPENTER OR A LABORER IT'S GOING TO BE $20, $15 LESS. AND THROUGHOUT THE DAY THEY'RE GOING TO MISCLASSIFY THAT WORKER AS A CARPENTER OR A LABORER BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE PERFORMING IRON WORK AND DUTIES. YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THAT'S WHERE THE CHEATING CONTRACTOR IS TO THE POINTS THAT WERE MADE BEFORE ME IS IS MAKING THEIR DAY.  BASICALLY THEY COME IN WITH THAT LOW BID AND THEY'RE CHOPPING OFF THE THE KNEES OF THE WORKING FORCE TO TO MAKE THEIR BUDGET IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT PROFIT EXCUSE ME AND THAT'S SAD. THAT'S SAD TO SEE ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF BOSTON ALL THE STATE AND NEVERTHELESS LIKE WHEN YOU LIVE IN A CITY AND YOU ARE YOU KNOW, PAYING ALL THE TAXES TO HELP FUND THAT PROJECT AND THERE'S AN OUT-OF-STATE CONTRACTOR THAT'S COMING IN AND YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, CHEATING AND THE CITY IS TRYING TO HELP AND I KNOW THE UNION IS BUT TO HAVE THIS LAW AND THIS ORDINANCE IN PLACE WOULD BE HUGE TO PUT THESE PEOPLE'S FEET TO THE FIRE THAT THE BAD ACTORS AND AND I GUESS TO THE POINT WHERE LIKE IF IF LIKE YOU KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS ASKED AND WHAT CAN WE DO AND HOW COULD WE DO IT I KNOW IN SPECIFIC TRADES I KNOW IN THE I WORK IN BUSINESS WE HAVE COMPILED MANY OF FILES AGAINST CONTRACTORS LIKE UNDER THE DICAMBA CERTIFICATION PROCESS BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF NONUNION FOLKS THAT HAVE THAT AND WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO TO MEET THOSE REGULATIONS AND I KNOW IT'S THROUGH THE STATE BUT WE'VE COMPILED A LOT OF INFORMATION. SO I THINK AS A TIP TO THE CITY HALL WOULD BE YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE SPECIFIC TRADES AND THEIR UNIONS ON THOSE SPECIFIC CONTRACTORS BECAUSE I KNOW ON OUR SIDE IN THE I WORK IN NAM THAT OUR UNION HALL WE HAVE A LONG LIST OF OF CONTRACTORS THAT YOU KNOW IT'S JUST WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO WITH THAT INFORMATION WHETHER IT'S THE STATE HOUSE OR WHETHER IT'S CITY HALL OR YOU KNOW AND THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW THE PROJECT'S OVER AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON TO THE NEXT YOU KNOW AND THINGS GET BUSY AND IT DOES KIND OF GET NOT LEFT TO THE WAYSIDE BUT THEN IT'S LIKE OH, I SEEN THEIR TRUCKS AGAIN. YOU KNOW, THEY WERE JUST IN JAMAICA PLAIN. NOW THEY'RE IN CHARLESTOWN NOW IT'S SO IT DOES IT DOES AH I WOULD SAY AS CITY HALL AS A FIRST ELECTED OFFICIALS USE UNIONS YOU KNOW WHAT DO YOU GUYS HAVE FOR INFORMATION? WHAT CAN WE DO YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT DO YOU HAVE AND COMPARE NOTES YOU KNOW I WAS READING A FEW OF THE ORDINANCE THE PACKET THAT I WAS EMAILED OVER AND JUST A COUPLE OF QUOTES LIKE FROM OUR STUDIES HAVE REPEATEDLY SHOWN THAT WAGE THEFT IN IS CONCENTRATED AMONG LOW WAGE WORKERS WOMEN,  MINORITIES, NON CITIZENS AND UNION WERE IN NONUNION WORKERS EXCUSE ME ALSO IN OTHER QUOTE REQUIRING CITY CONTRACTORS SUBCONTRACT WORKERS AND BIDDERS TO COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE FEDERAL AND STATE WAGE LAWS. YOU KNOW OUR BOOKS ARE WIDE OPEN IN THAT SENSE ON THE UNION SIDE WHERE YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS KNOWN WHAT WE GET PAID AND IT'S THAT MISCLASSIFICATION FROM THE NONUNION SIDE WHERE YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE CHEATING AND ALSO WHAT LOCAL SERVING IN THE BOSTON BUILDING TRADES I MEAN WE PROMOTE DIVERSITY, WE PROMOTE BOSTON CITY WORKFORCE ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE SPOKEN ABOUT BEFORE WHERE WE WANT OUR KIDS TO WORK HERE, WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO WORK AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE . SO JUST LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD AND YOU KNOW, I GUESS BACK TO MY EARLIER POINT I'M SORRY AS I'M ROLLING THROUGH MY NOTES AS ARE THE CERTIFIED PAYROLLS, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO USING THE UNIONS, LEANING ON THEM A LITTLE BIT TO GET ACCESS TO SOME OF THOSE CERTIFIED PAYROLLS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE UNIONS DO A LOT OF HARD WORK ON THAT AND ARE THE ORGANIZERS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO CITY HALL WOULD YOU KNOW, PLEASE PLEASE REACH OUT AND WE CAN TRY TO PUT AN END TO SOME OF THESE BAD ACTORS AND THAT THAT'S ABOUT IT. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I INTRODUCED MYSELF SO I APOLOGIZE. MY NAME'S FRANK MURRAY. I'M FROM LOCAL SEVEN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE IRONWORKERS AND SHIPTON. I DO SEE YOU ERIN AND I AM WORKING SHIRT AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT BROTHER.  I'LL FORFEIT THAT TIME TO YOU, MY FRIEND. THANK YOU.  YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THAT YOU'RE A PROUD CHARLESTOWN RESIDENT. YES. 02129 AS WELL. YES. VERY IMPORTANT.  THANK YOU SO MUCH. ON THE FLOOR IS YOURS.  YOU KNOW YOU'RE MUTED.  OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW WE CAN HEAR YOU. PERFECT. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS TOM GREEN AND I'M HONORED TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TODAY AS A ROXBURY RESIDENT AND A PROUD LEADER OF THE BOSTON BUILDING TRADES UNIONS TODAY I WANT TO ADDRESS AN ISSUE THAT GOES SORRY TODAY I WANT TO TODAY I WANT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT GOES TO THE HEART OF FAIRNESS, DIGNITY AND RESPECT FOR ALL WORKERS WHICH IS WASTE. FIRST I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK. IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THAT OUR COMMUNITIES THRIVE.  YOUR COMMITMENT DESERVES RECOGNITION AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WORKERS RIGHTS DESERVES ENHANCED AND ADVANCE PROTECTION.  WORKERS RIGHTS.  WAGE THEFT IS A GRAVE INJUSTICE THAT UNDERMINES THE VERY FOUNDATION OF OUR LABOR FORCE. IT OCCURS WHEN EMPLOYERS FAIL TO PAY WORKERS WHAT THEY ARE RIGHTFULLY OWED WHETHER THROUGH UNPAID OVERTIME DENIED BENEFITS ,DENIED BENEFITS OR OUTRIGHT WAGE OF WAGES. THIS NOT ONLY ROBS THE WORKERS OF THEIR EARNINGS BUT ALSO STRIP THEM OF THEIR DIGNITY AND SECURITY. THE IMPACT OF WAGE THEFT EXTENDS BEYOND THE INDIVIDUAL WORKERS AND FAMILIES WHO RELY ON EVERY PAYCHECK TO MAKE ENDS MEET TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE TO PAY RENT AND PROVIDE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. IT UNDERMINES OUR ECONOMY AS HONEST BUSINESSES THAT PAY THEIR WAGES UNDERCUT BY THOSE WHO EXPLOIT THEIR WORKERS AND THE WORLD'S TRUST IN OUR INSTITUTIONS AS WORKERS FEEL ABANDONED BY A SYSTEM THAT FAILS TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS. THIS IS WHY A STRONG WAGE THEFT ORDINANCE IS CRUCIAL. SUCH AN ORDINANCE WOULD PROVIDE CLEAR AND ENFORCEABLE RULES THAT HOLDS EMPLOYEES ACCOUNTABLE AND WOULD ENSURE THAT WORKERS RECEIVE THE PAY THAT THEY HAVE EARNED AND CREATE A FAIR PLAYING FIELD FOR ALL BUSINESSES BY DEFINING WAGE THEFT AND OUTLINING SPECIFIC PROHIBITED PRACTICES THAT EMPLOYEES THAT EMPLOYEES EVERY DAY SUCH AS UNPAID OVERTIME MISCLASSIFICATION OF WORKERS AND UNLAWFUL DEDUCTIONS.  THERE MUST BE EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS IN PLACE WHICH WE KNOW INCLUDES ESTABLISHING DEDICATED OFFICES FOR OFFICIALS TO HANDLE WASTE OF CLAIM CONDUCT AND REGULAR INSPECTIONS AND ENSURING SWIFT AND FAIR RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES . EMPLOYERS WHO ENGAGE IN WAGE THEFT MUST FACE SIGNIFICANT PENALTIES. THIS NOT ONLY COMPENSATES AFFECTED WORKERS BUT ALSO SERVES AS A DETERRENT TO PREVENT FUTURE VIOLATIONS WORKERS WHO REPORT WAYS THAT MUST BE PROTECTED FROM RETALIATION.  THEY SHOULD FEEL SAFE IN COMING FORWARD TO ASSERT THEIR RIGHTS WITHOUT FEAR OF LOSING THEIR JOBS OR FACING OTHER FORMS OF RETRIBUTION. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO EDUCATE BOTH WORKERS AND EMPLOYEES ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.  PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS CAN HELP ENSURE THAT EVERY EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF FAIR WAGES AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF WAGE THEM. BEFORE JOINING THE UNION I WAS A VICTIM OF WAGE THEFT. WHEN I BARGAINED FOR MYSELF TO ASK FOR A DOLLAR RAISE FROM A CERTAIN NONUNION EMPLOYER I RECEIVED IT BUT LATER FOUND OUT THAT THAT EMPLOYEE TOOK A QUARTER FROM FOR WORKERS AND MY HEART WAS BROKEN. WE MUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN WE CAN TO PREVENT THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING TO ANYONE EVER AGAIN . BAD ACTORS NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. AS SOON AS WE CATCH WIND OF BAD PRACTICES IT IS DONE OUR JOB ALONGSIDE OUR GOVERNMENT TO ACT IMMEDIATELY AND IT MUST BE JUST AS IMPORTANT TO US AS THE PERSON AFFECTED BY WAGE THEFT. TOGETHER WE CAN CREATE A FAIR AND JUST WORKPLACE WHERE EVERY WORKER IS PAID WHAT THEY DESERVE AND EVERY WORKER WHO DECIDES TO TAKE THE BRAVE STEP OF SPEAKING UP IS PROTECTED. THANK YOU.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND I WANT TO THANK THIS ENTIRE PANEL FOR NOT ONLY JUST BEING HERE TODAY BUT YOUR DECADE YEARS PLUS WORTH OF WORK INTO BRINGING US TO THIS POINT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PROVIDING THAT HISTORY. I CERTAINLY NEEDED IT IN THAT CONTEXT. IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND PROVIDING YOUR PERSPECTIVE I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS THEY MAY HAVE. THOSE WHO ARE LEFT WITH US APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BEING HERE FOR THEIR TIME BUT I'LL PASS IT OVER TO COUNSELOR WEBER FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WHO MAY HAVE. SURE. THANK YOU AND JUST FRANK, FIRST OF ALL, I MISS CLASS TIME IN THIS CLASSIFICATION AND PREVAILING WAGE MISCLASSIFICATION AS BEING A BIG PROBLEM WHEN WHEN CONTRACTORS SAY WELL THAT PERSON'S A LABORER OR EVEN IF THEY'RE DOING ELECTRICAL WORK OR IRON WORK OR CARPENTRY OR ANYTHING ELSE THEY PAY A LOWER WAGE THAT'S THAT THAT WOULD TRIGGER THE REQUIREMENTS OF ALL OF THIS AND CERTAINLY I THINK WOULD BE GROUNDS FOR SUSPENSION OF A CONTRACT AND I FULLY SUPPORT YOU ON THAT. I GUESS I JUST HAD A QUESTION FOR TERRY GERSTEIN AND SHE'S THERE.  DO YOU THINK THE SORT OF THE THING I WANT TO GET RIGHT ON THIS IS THE DATABASE AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE THAT DATABASE TO BE EFFECTIVE IN OUR ENFORCEMENT AND I KNOW SHE'S IF WE LOST HER WHICH IS POSSIBLE I MEAN I WONDER HOW WE CAN DO THAT EFFECTIVELY AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT DIVISION OF LABOR. YOU KNOW, I KNOW OUR OFFICE OF LABOR COMPLIANCE THEY DO A LOT OF GREAT WORK. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IF IF THEY HAVE THE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS BUT I I GUESS FOR ANYONE ON THE PANEL.  DARLENE, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW YOU KNOW, HAVING BEEN INVOLVED THIS LONG IN THIS FIGHT, YOU KNOW HOW WE CAN WHO WOULD MANAGE THAT DATABASE AND HOW DO YOU THINK WE'D BE ABLE TO GET THE OUR YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THE FIELD PROCUREMENT OFFICERS LICENSED GRANTEES LIKE WHAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT AS WE DO THEM?  OKAY.  THE DATABASE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. ABSOLUTELY.  AND I THINK THAT DATA IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE AND KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. HOWEVER, I DON'T I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE ON THE TABLE OR THE NUMBER ONE TOOL. AND I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME INCREDIBLE TOOLS THAT TREND HAS ALREADY IMPLEMENTED THAT IS SORT OF BEING CODIFIED RIGHT NOW WHICH IS 16 FORM WE DID NOT HAVE THAT THERE WAS NO DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT FROM ANYBODY WHO WAS DOING BIDS OR PUTTING IN BIDS. HAVING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND BEING ABLE TO PUT THAT IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FROM THE GET GO IS KEY.  THE WAGE BOND AND REQUIRING ANYBODY WITH PASS VIOLATIONS BEING ABLE TO BE REQUIRED ACTUALLY CAN I JUST TELL YOU A STORY REALLY QUICK BECAUSE THERE WAS A DUDE FROM THE A WORKER SORRY DUDE A WORKER FROM THE BRAZILIAN WORKER'S CENTER ACTUALLY SITTING AROUND THE TABLE WITH ALL OF US. IT WAS ACTUALLY CURRENT MAYOR WU AND LOU WHO WAS WORKING FOR SEAL REUTEMANN AT THE TIME A BUNCH OF US. THERE'S A COUPLE CARPENTERS THERE. THERE'S A BUNCH OF US AND HE WAS LIKE MAN, SHOULDN'T THERE BE SOMETHING THAT SAYS THAT THEY CAN'T THEY CAN PAY US?  LIKE SHOULDN'T THERE BE PROOF THAT THEY CAN PAY US? AND I KID YOU NOT. WE'RE LIKE LOU WAS LIKE I DON'T KNOW IS THERE A WAGE BANDIT KOREA WAGE? FINE. IF YOU PEOPLE LIKE WE CAN MAKE A BONG. WE CAN MAKE THAT.  WE CAN MAKE THAT STUFF UP. WE CAN WE CAN DO IT WE COULD PUT IT IN AN ORDINANCE AND TO ME THAT IS THE KEY TO THIS WHOLE ORDINANCE IS THAT WE HAD A WORKER THAT SAY HERE'S A PROBLEM.  WE HAD PEOPLE AROUND THE ROOM SAYING WE NEED TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND WE CAME UP WITH THAT WAGE PLAN. SO I LOVE THE DATABASE AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I KNOW YOU DO TOO COUNCILOR , BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS IN THERE THAT I LOVE A LOT LIKE THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY, THE WORKER CENTERS AND ALL THAT. THAT'S WHAT I LOVE THE MOST.  YEAH. SO I JUST. SO ON THE WAGE BOND I GUESS. YEAH. SO IT'S IT'S IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND THAT WE CAN REQUIRE I THINK IT'S A UP TO A YEAR OF . HAVE YOU. DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THE LIKE.  IS THAT THE RIGHT AMOUNT IS THAT NOT ENOUGH. THAT ARE OUR CONTRACTORS WHO'VE HAD WAGE THEFT VIOLATIONS IN THE PAST ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THAT AMOUNT OR DO YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE BONDS FOR LOTS OF THINGS SO THEY HAVE TO HAVE INSURANCE AS BOND? YOU MEAN THESE FOLKS KNOW MORE THAT THEIR OWN SIGNATURE SIGNATORIES ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE LOTS OF THINGS? THERE'S NO REASON WHY THEY CAN'T PROVE THAT THEY CAN PAY THEIR WORKERS. OKAY.  AND I GUESS MY MY MY QUESTION FOR NOEL AND FRANK, I MEAN HOW HARD IS IT TO GET WORK?  YOU GET THESE CONTRACTS FOR YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR WORKERS, FOR UNION WORKERS HERE WHERE YOU HAVE YOU KNOW, LIKE WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE BIDDING AGAINST YOU WHO MIGHT HAVE, YOU KNOW, NOT PAID THEIR WORKERS IN THE PAST AND YOU KNOW, HAVE A MAKE A POINT OF NOT HAVING UNION WORKERS ON SITE, YOU KNOW. SO ARGUMENT NO.  ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO I THINK IT'S GOTTEN ALMOST TO THE POINT WHERE THE CONTRACTOR HAS TO SHARPEN THEIR PENCIL SO MUCH ON THEIR BIDS THAT IT'S GOTTEN DOWN LIKE SCHOOLS PARTICULARLY LIKE THERE'LL BE ONE OR TWO STEEL OR ACTORS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND THEY'VE GOTTEN THEY'VE KIND OF JUST HONED IN ON THAT MARKET. I'D SAY ON THE I WORKING SIDE WE DO FAIRLY WELL ON ERECTING STEEL AND AND LIKE BOSTON CITY PROJECTS IT'S WHEN IT GETS DOWN TO LIKE THE MISCELLANEOUS METALS WHICH IS LIKE THE SMALLER PART OF THE CONTRACT WHERE IT'S THE STAIRS IT'S THE RAILINGS IT'S IT'S THINGS OF THAT NATURE WHERE WE TEND TO LOSE BECAUSE THE FABRICATORS OF THESE THE THE IRON IN THAT PACKAGE THAT PARTICULAR PACKAGE ALWAYS GOES TO A NONUNION BETTER BUT THOSE PEOPLE ARE AGAIN MISCLASSIFIED AND THEIR WORKERS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE THE FOREMEN BEING THE IRON WORKER AND THEN THE GUYS INSTALLING IT ARE CONSIDERED THE LABORER BUT IT'S TECHNICALLY IRONWORKERS WORK SO IT'S MISCLASSIFICATION OF WORKERS AND IT'S MISCLASSIFICATION OF JOB DUTIES IN THAT SENSE AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT PART OF THAT THAT THAT KIND OF STUFF IS GOING TO BE IN THIS ORDINANCE AND THAT'S A GREAT THING. BUT AGAIN IT'S JUST THOSE AND IT'S THE STATES STUFF TOO. I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF THE WORKFORCE ISN'T FROM THEY MIGHT HAVE A MASSACHUSETTS ADDRESS LIKE THEIR OFFICE OR WHATEVER THAT MAY BE BUT THEIR WORKFORCE IS FROM OUT OF STATE AND THAT YOU KNOW WHERE ARE THEY RESIDING IS A BIG THING YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE I GUESS IT'S FOR ME LIKE THE HORACE MANN THE THE OLD EDWARDS MIDDLE SCHOOL TOO THE HORACE MANN NOW THERE WAS GOOD IRON WORK AND CONTRACTS ON THAT . THERE WERE SOME STEEL AND IT WAS A REHAB SO IT WASN'T MUCH YOU KNOW, GROUND UP I AM WORKING GOING ON BUT WE DID LOSE THE MISCELLANEOUS METALS PACKAGE THE SMALL STUFF WHERE THEY WERE CHANGING THE RAILINGS AND THE RAMPS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO A CONTRACTOR THAT I KNOW HAS AN ADDRESS UP NORTH AND MASSACHUSETTS. SO THEY FOLLOWED THE DICAMBA CERTIFICATIONS PROCESS BUT THEIR WORKFORCE IS LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND THEY'RE NOT BOSTON RESIDENTS.  SO YOU KNOW WHETHER IT BE THE CLERK THAT'S THERE ON THE JOB THAT IS LIKE OVERSEEING THOSE THINGS IF HE OR SHE COULD YOU KNOW, KIND OF HONE IN ON LIKE HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON?  YOU KNOW WHO'S YOU KNOW, IS BEN WEBER ON YOU GOT BEN WEBER HERE TO WORK AND WHERE IS HE FROM? DOES HE MEET THE CRITERIA OF , YOU KNOW, BEING A BOSTON RESIDENT? OKAY, HE DOES IF IT'S SOMEONE THAT'S NOT A BOSTON RESIDENT, THEN IT'S LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU WON THE BID FOR THIS REASON . THE BOSTON CITY ORDINANCE WANTS YOU TO HAVE X AMOUNT OF BOSTON RESIDENTS. IT'S A SCHOOL LIKE I ROLL OUT OF BED AND I'M IN THAT SCHOOL.  YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO MY HOUSE. I KNOW THE THE CONTRACTOR THAT WAS THERE DIDN'T HAVE BOSTON RESIDENTS ON IT. YOU KNOW, THE STEEL ERECTED YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME GOOD PARTS OF IT SO I CAN'T GO ALL BAD, ALL NEGATIVE BUT THERE ARE SOME CHEATING CONTRACTORS THAT ARE ABLE TO FIND THEIR WAY AROUND THE EDGES AND AND GET THERE SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY, YOU KNOW AND I JUST THINK IT'S BECAUSE ONE THEY'RE CHEATING AND THERE THERE ARE YOU KNOW THEY'RE JUST NOT MEETING UP TO THE REQUIREMENTS SO THAT THAT'S THAT'S WHERE I FEEL THE CONTRACT IS JUST THOSE THE CHEATERS ARE REALLY WORKING HARD ON CHEATING YOU KNOW YEAH AND YOU TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT BAD BUSINESSES ARE ACTUALLY LYING AND CHEATING GAMING THE SYSTEM YEAH AND UNDERMINING RESPONSE CIVIL CONTRACTORS YEAH IT IS A COST TO THE CITIES STATE AND OTHER AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY WHEN THE MISCLASSIFICATION OF WORKERS OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS ARE WE ARE TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE PAYING FOR THAT IT'S A COST TO US INDIVIDUALLY WHEN A BUSINESS DOES NOT PLAY UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AND IS NOT CLASSIFYING THEIR WORKERS AS AN EMPLOYEE WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE SO CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACT IS WHAT I THINK. YEAH BROTHER FRANK OVER HERE SAYING ABOUT THE MISCLASSIFICATION OF THE JOB BUT ALSO AS MISCLASSIFICATION AS AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AND NOT AN EMPLOYEE YEAH AND SO THAT THAT IS SO KEY AND IT UNDERMINES RESPONSIBLE BUSINESSES WHO WON'T EVEN PUT IN A BID BECAUSE THEY CAN'T COMPETE ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD WAGE THEFT AND MISCLASSIFICATION OF WORKERS AND NOT PAYING TAXES IS BAKED INTO THEIR BID Y'ALL IT'S BAKED IS IT?  IT IS IT IS IN FACT BUSINESS MODEL.  YEAH. YEAH. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I MEAN I MEAN IN FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IN AND PREVAILING WAGE WORK PUBLIC WORK OUR CONTRACTORS YES WE FIND CHEATING AND YES WE FOLLOW BUT I MEAN JUST IN THE PRIVATE WORK IS WHERE WE SEE THIS RAMPANT AND RESIDENTIAL IT IS JUST INCREDIBLE THE DELTAS THAT WE SEE SOMETIMES IN JUST ONE SCOPE OF WORK LET'S SAY THE DRYWALL PACKAGE ON A ON A BUILDING IS UPWARDS SOMETIMES OF $3 MILLION AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT LEGITIMATELY A NONUNION CONTRACTOR WHERE HE HAS TO PAY THE SAME AMOUNT FOR MATERIALS IS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK WITH THE WITH THE LABOR FORCE AND SAVE THAT MUCH MONEY. IT'S AN ILLEGITIMATE NUMBER AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT WE FIND LIKE DARLENE SAYS THIS IS BAKED INTO THE NUMBERS AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE SHORTAGE OF OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OUT THERE AND JUST EVERYBODY'S SHORT STAFFED AND UNDERFUNDED, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO THIS PROJECT THAT THE WORKERS THAT CAME FORWARD RECEIVED MASS HOUSING MONEY $15 MILLION IN TAX FUNDS TO HELP BUILD THIS PROJECT. BUT HEREIN LIES THE THE THE THE THE PROBLEM RIGHT.  THE CONTRACTOR COMES IN AND SAYS THIS IS THE PRICE THAT I CAN GIVE YOU EVERYBODY UP TO.  EVERYBODY'S LIKE OH WELL WE WE NEED TO GO WITH THE MOST AFFORDABLE WAY TO BUILD THIS.  BUT WHAT'S BAKED IN IS THE EXPLOITATION ALREADY ALL THE WAY DOWN THE CHAIN AND GUESS WHAT? NONE OF THE TOP TIER PEOPLE ARE REALLY VULNERABLE TO LIABILITY. IT'S EVERYBODY ANYBODY THAT CREATES THAT THAT CHEATING DOWN TO THE THE DOWN THE LADDER THAT THAT GETS PINNED AGAINST THE AGAINST THE CORNER AND THAT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW IN OUR IN THE CARPENTRY WORLD THERE IS SCOPES OF WORK LIKE WOOD FRAME LIKE DRYWALL, LIKE INTERIOR FINISHES FLOORING,  FINISH CARPENTRY THAT THERE ARE NO LEGITIMATE NONUNION CONTRACTORS WORKING AT A CERTAIN LEVEL OF CONSTRUCTION ABOVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT. IT'S EITHER YOU CHEAT OR YOU'RE A UNION CONTRACTOR AND THE DELTAS THAT'S WHAT IT IS. THERE'S NO THERE'S NO LEGITIMATE NONUNION COMPETITION BECAUSE IF YOU'RE A LEGITIMATE NONUNION CONTRACTOR TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THE WAY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BY LAW YOU CAN'T COMPETE WITH THE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE DOING IT AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY WHAT WE'RE SEEING. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND IT'S ONE OF THE GOALS OF THESE HEARINGS ARE TO BRING THE CARPENTERS AND IRONWORKERS TOGETHER AT THE SAME TABLE THIS IS DONE BEFORE I WAS HERE LAST TIME AND THERE WAS I WAS WITH A LOT OF THE CARPENTERS. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH.  SO I'M GLAD WE CAN CONTINUE THAT THAT WORK AND I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNSELOR WEBER COUNCILOR MEJIA THANK YOU. AND SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE REALNESS RIGHT IN THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE I REALLY DO BELIEVE AND EVERYTHING THAT I DO HERE IS LED BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING THE REALITIES LIKE JUST HAVE YOU ALL HERE TODAY REALLY MEANS A LOT IN TERMS OF HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. SO THANK YOU BECAUSE YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS ONE THAT I DON'T HAVE BECAUSE I AM NOT A LABORER, RIGHT? I DON'T WORK IN THAT SPACE BUT YOU DO AND I AND I THINK THAT THE EXAMPLES THAT YOU BROUGHT HERE TODAY REALLY HELP ME AND ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FOLLOWING THIS CONVERSATION UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE NUANCES OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY AROUND THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT WE'RE GIVING CONTRACTS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT EMPLOYING OR GIVING OPPORTUNITIES TO BOSTON RESIDENTS AND THERE IS WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES FOR ME BECAUSE WE BUILT THIS CITY WHAT YOU BUILD THE CITY WE'RE LIVING IN THE CITY THAT GOT BUILT LITERALLY BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE AND THEN WE'RE DISPLACING A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO GREW UP HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON RIGHT.  THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY THAT THEY'RE LITERALLY BUILDING.  THEY'RE BEING YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF THEIR STATUS, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR RACES IT EVERYONE IS BEING EXPLOITED. EVERYONE IS BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE MOST THAT ARE GETTING AWAY WITH SHORTCHANGING THOSE WHO HAVE THE LEAST. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT THIS CONVERSATION REALLY IS ABOUT AND THAT ACCOUNTABILITY REALLY HAS TO HAVE SOME TEETH BECAUSE THIS WHOLE BUILDING OF THE CITY OF BOSTON I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE MAKING MILLIONS OFF THE BACKS OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK AND BECAUSE THERE IS NO REAL POLITICAL WILL ,A LOT OF PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH IT AND THEY DO AND THIS IS WHY TO DARLENE'S POINT THAT WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES AND HERE WE ARE RIGHT AFTER ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE BUILDING THE CONVERSATION, GETTING US TO THIS POINT JUST TO CLARIFY SOMETHING, IT'S A LOT REALLY SPEAKS TO LIKE THE BUCK STOPS HERE BECAUSE THE CITY IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NEGLECT BECAUSE WE'RE THE ONES WHO PROVIDE CONTRACTS TO FOLKS WITHOUT DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE RIGHT. SO THIS ACCOUNTABILITY IS ALL AROUND AND SO I REALLY I DON'T I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY WHICH IS WEIRD BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT EVERYTHING BUT I THINK YOU ALL HAVE SAID IT ALL AND I JUST WANT TO LIKE JUST ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BRINGING YOUR VOICE INTO THIS SPACE. BUT WHILE I HAVE YOUR REAL LIVED EXPERIENCE FOLKS HERE,  HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE IN TERMS OF JUST I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO A WORKING SESSION AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET REALLY DEEP IN THE WEEDS. BUT I'M CURIOUS ARE THERE ANY THINGS THAT YOU CAN THINK OF THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT HERE TODAY THAT WE SHOULD BE KEEPING TOP OF MIND AS WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE THESE CONVERSATIONS?  UM, IT WAS EARLY ON IN THE ORDINANCE THAT I READ AND I MENTIONED IT EARLIER THE QUOTE LIKE STUDIES HAVE REPEATEDLY SHOWN THAT WAGE THEFT IS AMONG LOW WAGE WORKERS WOMEN, MINORITIES, NON CITIZENS AND NONUNION WORKERS. I MEAN LOCAL SEVEN SPECIFICALLY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY UNDER OUR INTERNATIONAL WE HAVE THE MOST WOMEN IN OUR LOCAL SPECIFICALLY.  SO YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE ON THE FOREFRONT OF THINGS LIKE THAT.  WE COVER ALL DIFFERENT RACES NATIONALITIES, CREEDS,  RELIGIONS. WE DON'T DISCRIMINATE WHEN IT COMES TO BRINGING IN MEMBERS.  THAT'S FOR THE WHOLE BOSTON BUILDING TRADE NOT JUST LOCAL SEVEN I DID WANT TO HAVE MY LITTLE MOMENT THERE TO GIVE US A PAT ON THE BACK FOR THE WOMEN BUT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BOSTON BUILDING TRADES WE PROMOTE DIVERSITY.  I JUST FEEL THAT SOME OF THESE OTHER CONTRACTORS THAT ARE GETTING ON SOME OF THESE PUBLIC PROJECTS LIKE REALLY FIND OUT IF THEY ARE MEETING THOSE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN OF COURSE THE BOSTON RESIDENTS POLICY TO ARE THEY MEETING THOSE NUMBERS IF THEY'RE COMING FROM NECESSARILY OUT OF CITY OR MAYBE OUT OF STATE BECAUSE THE BDA PROCESS TOO I GUESS ONE SIGN OF THIS IT MIGHT NOT JUST BE PUBLIC PROCESSES IF THERE'S PRIVATE OR TO YOU KNOW COUNCILMAN HEY, YOU MENTIONED MONEY THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE MAKING WHETHER THEY'RE FROM OUT OF STATE OR IF THEY'RE CLOSE BY NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN THEY'RE IN THE SUBURBS. THEY'RE NOT IN THE CITY. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE PUTTING INTO THESE BUILDINGS WHETHER IT BE THE BUILDING MATERIALS OR THE CHEAP STUFF THAT THEY WANT TO BUILD WITH BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THESE CHEATERS ARE GETTING AWAY WITH THAT THERE ARE THEIR PROFITS.  THAT'S HOW THEY'RE RUNNING AWAY WITH THESE PROFITS. THEY'RE CHEATING THE LABOR, THE BACKS OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE PUTTING THE BUILDING UP AND THEN THEY HAD BAD BUILDING MATERIALS.  I MEAN THE CARPENTERS SEE IT A LOT WITH THE WOOD FRAME LIKE THEY'RE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE THEY'RE PUTTING IN CHEAP BUILDING MATERIALS THAT ARE GOING TO THEN BE PUT IN BY UNDER FUNDED WORKERS AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO STILL CHARGE $4,000 A MONTH OR RENT OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE WHEN THEY START TO SELL THESE UNITS OFF IF IT'S HOUSING OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO I MEAN COMING FROM AN IRONWORKERS BACKGROUND I'D LOVE TO SEE EVERYTHING STEEL OF COURSE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WITH THE PUBLIC HOUSING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE NOW I'M CROSSING PATHS IN THE PRIVATE PUBLIC BUT IT'S JUST A LONGER LASTING PRODUCT FOR THE RESIDENT, THE CITY PERSON THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES IF NOT A GENERATIONAL YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE A REVOLVING DOOR OF PEOPLE THAT COME INTO THE PUBLIC HOUSING REALM AND THEN LEAVE THE PUBLIC HOUSING AROUND BUT THE BUILDING WILL STILL BE SOLIDIFIED FOR THE NEXT INHABITANT. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND THE BOSTON CITY RESIDENT DESERVES THAT.  THEY DESERVE A LONG STANDING BUILDING SO HOPEFULLY WE'RE ALL DEAD AND GONE BY THE TIME WE'RE REBUILDING AND AGAIN AND WE'RE NOT HAVING THE CONVERSATION OF OH I WISH WE DID IT THEN YOU KNOW AND THAT'S THAT'S ANOTHER THING YOU KNOW THE BUILDING MATERIALS A HUGE FOR FOR BOTH WHETHER IT'S PRIVATE OR PUBLIC IF THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD WITH CHEAP BUILDING MATERIALS THEY'RE PROBABLY LOOKING TO,  YOU KNOW, UNDERCUT THEIR UNDERCUT THEIR WORKFORCE AND THE MATERIALS TO MAKE A PROFIT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU CAN SAY SOMETHING OF NOT JUST REITERATING, YOU KNOW, SOME POINTS TO WHERE YOU THOUGHT YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME SOME EXTRA LANGUAGE WOULD WOULD BE HELPFUL WHERE THE REGARDS WOULD TIFFS POTENTIALLY ADDING APPRENTICESHIP REQUIREMENTS FOR A CERTAIN MUNICIPAL WORK TO BE ABLE TO YOU KNOW, HOLD CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE TO TO BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE GOOD JOBS AND CAREERS FOR FOR FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.  AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE FEEL THAT CONSTRUCTION IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN A LOT OF OTHER SECTIONS WOULDN'T WHEN IT COMES TO PERMITTING AND PROCUREMENT AND OTHER THINGS. SO IN SOME ORDINANCES THAT WE'VE HELPED WORK IN THE PAST IN THE PAST HAVING A OWN SECTION FOR CONSTRUCTION WE FELT THERE WAS A VALUE TO THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW AND BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER STUFF TO ABOUT TODAY BUT I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN I HAVE BEEN HERE ALL DAY TODAY.  THIS IS MY SECOND HEARINGS AND LONG TABLE AND CLOSED DIDN'T GET ME SUPPORTED THEY DIDN'T GIVE ME COFFEE SO BUT YOU KNOW I WAS I THINK ONE THING THAT I HAVE LEARNED IS THAT I CAME INTO THIS COUNCIL REALLY ADAMANT ABOUT RACIAL EQUITY AND REALLY FIGHTING AND WHAT I HAVE COME TO LEARN IN MY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME HERE IS THAT IF WE REALLY START HAVING REAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS WORK THAT WE REALIZE THAT OFTENTIMES WE MIGHT BE HAVING THE WRONG CONVERSATION BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BENEFITING FROM THE PROFITS ARE IT'S A DIFFERENT IT'S SHOULD BE WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT CLASS ALSO AS IT RELATES TO THESE CONVERSATIONS I KNOW A LOT OF IT IS FOCUSING ON BLACK AND BROWN FOLKS AND I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE BLACK AND BROWN QUEEN. DON'T EVEN GET IT TWISTED REAL QUICK SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR OF THAT RECORD. BUT I WILL ALSO SAY ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORK THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING AND I HAVE BEEN LEARNING IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT IS THAT A LOT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE REALLY ROOTED IN CLASS AND ACCESS AND INFORMATION AND WEALTH, RIGHT? BECAUSE THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE GETTING RICHER OFF OF ALL OF OUR BACKS.  AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE LABOR MOVEMENT BACK IN THE DAY IT WAS BLACK AND BROWN AND WHITE PEOPLE, LOW WAGE WORKERS ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO DISMANTLE THE SYSTEM AND I THINK THAT SOMETIMES WE GET LOST IN THAT CONVERSATION AND WHEN WE GET LOST THE PEOPLE WHO WIN ARE THE ONES WHO ARE HOLDING ON TO THAT POWER. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WHY THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPING LAWS AND MODIFYING ORDINANCES THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAIL AND THAT WE'RE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT WHO IT IS THAT WE'RE GOING AFTER AND WHO WE'RE HOLDING ACCOUNTABLE. AND I THINK THAT IS REALLY FOR ME ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS THAT I'VE LEARNED IN THE LABOR CONVERSATION IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING MONEY AND IT'S NOT US. YES. YES.  CAN I JUST SAY ONE LAST THING BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED POLITICAL WILL AND I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR SOME OF THE FRUSTRATION THAT COMES OUT OF ME IS NOT THAT THERE'S NOT THE POLITICAL WILL HERE CITY COUNCIL OR WITH OUR MAYOR PAST PRESENT THERE WAS POLITICAL WILL. WE GOT AN EXECUTIVE ORDER.  NOW WE'RE CODIFYING A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT OUR MAYOR CURRENTLY IN THE PAST WAS ACTUALLY WORKING ON THIS VERY LEGISLATION WITH US. SO I JUST WANT TO THAT CONTINUITY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW AND THAT HISTORY OUR LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION IS THAT WHERE THERE CAN BE IT'S BEEN TEN YEARS SINCE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PASS STATEWIDE LEGISLATION.  SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THERE ARE LEVERS THAT MAKE EVERY PART OF THIS CONTRACTING AND SUBCONTRACTING CHAIN ACCOUNTABLE AND LIABLE AT THE TOP AND THAT IS ACTUALLY THE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN A CHANGE IN OUR LABOR LAWS BECAUSE BUSINESSES IRRESPONSIBLE BUSINESSES WILL CONTINUE TO GAME THE SYSTEM AND THEN WHEN WE CHANGE THE SYSTEM THEY'RE GOING TO GAME IT AGAIN. THAT'S RIGHT.  AND SO THAT'S JUST TO MAKE PROFITS JUST TO MAKE PROFITS OFF OF OUR BACKS. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE ARE REALLY GLAD TO BE HERE AND THERE IS A LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION BECAUSE OUR LABOR LAWS BOTH ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL, ON THE STATE LEVEL HAVE NOT KEPT AT THE PACE AT WHICH IRRESPONSIBLE BUSINESSES ARE GAMING THE SYSTEM. SO I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THAT.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY'S BEEN SO PATIENT.  THANK YOU. ONE OF THE REASONS MANY REASONS BUT I RAN FOR OFFICE AND MADE SURE IS YOU KNOW THAT UNIONS DO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND THEY HAVE A VOICE AND I WOULD OFTEN TELL THE STORY OF YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE TIMES PEOPLE WHO NEVER STEPPED FOOT IN A CLASSROOM WANTED TO MAKE CHANGES TO, YOU KNOW, TEACHING AND ALL OF THAT. AND AS A BTU MEMBER I'M LIKE WHERE ARE VOICES? WHY AREN'T WE ASKING THE TEACHERS AND ASKING THEM DIRECTLY WHAT THEY THINK? SO THANK YOU FRANK AND I KNOW YOU ALL SAID IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS WHEN YOU SAID LEAN ON OUR EXPERTISE LIKE REACH OUT TO US AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS AND A LIST OF QUESTIONS I DIDN'T ASK THE LAST PANEL BUT WHEN WE GO TO THE WORKING SESSION WAS YOU KNOW LET'S SPEAK TO THE COMPLAINT PROCESS THAT THE UNIONS CAN PROVIDE, HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THAT PROCESS? SO AND ALSO I HAVE THE SAME FRUSTRATION YOU WERE SAYING LIKE WE WERE SAYING EARLIER WHY EVEN LET THEM IN? IT'S WONDERFUL THAT TRENT AND YOU WORKED ON THAT YOU KNOW CRM 16 WAGE THAT FORM AS SOON AS WE KNOW THAT YOU'VE ALREADY HAD A VIOLATION. WHY ARE WE ALLOWING THEM?  BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE THE CONTRACTOR THAT LOW BIDS AND WHAT LITTLE FINES OR WHAT LITTLE PUSHBACK WE CAN GIVE WE KNOW IS COST OF DOING BUSINESS. THEY PROBABLY WRITE IT INTO THE LOW BID RATE THAT WE WILL FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY THAT IF WE DO GET CAUGHT. SO HOW DO WE GET AHEAD OF THAT? WE ARE SMARTER THAN THAT.  LIKE WE CAN PUT THINGS YOU KNOW, USE OUR POWER HERE BUT THEN ALSO WORK ON MAKING SURE IT PASSES AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL TOO BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF YOU ARE ALWAYS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION AS WE GO FORWARD AND MAKE THIS ORDINANCE STRONGER. THANK YOU FOR SAYING IT WAS THERE.  IT WAS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER. HOW DO WE TWEAK IT? WHAT WHAT DO WE ADD BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING OUR TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE AT THE END OF IT WHEN WE ALL WANT TO PASS THIS THAT IT'S GOING TO SUPPORT OUR WORKERS AND HELP THE WORK THAT YOU DO. AS YOU KNOW, UNION LEADERS AND HOW IN NAVIGATING THE JOB SITES WHERE YOU'RE WORKING ALONGSIDE THESE CONTRACTORS WHO ARE JUST UNDERMINING YOUR YOUR WORKFORCE ALSO. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO BE HERE IN THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.  COUNCILMAN MURPHY. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.  JUST WANT TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. IT'S ABOUT 505 SO I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE TWO SO REALLY TRULY THANK YOU.  UM, I THINK FOR FOR ME IT'S THIS IS THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE EMPOWER WORKERS RIGHT AND HOLD BAD ACTORS ACCOUNTABLE.  PEOPLE DESERVE THE WAGES THAT THEY'VE SO FAIRLY EARNED AND SO CODIFYING THIS IS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP AND SO I REALLY DO TAKE TO HEART EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL HAVE SAID AND THE WORK THAT YOU'VE ALREADY DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND JUST THINKING ABOUT NEXT STEPS UNDERSTANDING YOU KNOW, TAKING WHAT TERRI HAS SAID AND UNFORTUNATELY SHE HAD TO LEAVE US BUT ESTABLISHING A CLEAR LEGAL AUTHORITY AND DIRECTION FOR GOVERNMENTAL ACTORS IN ADDITION TO THE DATABASE IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE OTHER CREATIVE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND I DO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT WORKING SESSION AND REALLY DRILLING INTO THE DETAILS AND HAVING ALL OF YOU PRESENT IF YOU ARE ABLE TO BE HERE AND JUST JUST THANK YOU. I THINK WITH THAT OF COURSE THIS IS GOING TO IN COMMITTEE WE'LL HAVE A WORKING SESSION IN THE NEXT COMING WEEKS. THE SCHEDULE'S GETTING PRETTY PACKED SO WE'LL TRY TO SQUEEZE IT IN AHEAD OF NOVEMBER, EVEN GOING OUT TO DECEMBER. BUT LET'S HOPE BEFORE THEN UM BUT JUST WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC TESTIMONY. OKAY.  IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE SPONSORS AND FOLKS HERE WE WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING. THANK YOU