The San Francisco Board of Supervisors gave unanimous initial approval Tuesday to an ordinance designed to strengthen enforcement of the city’s minimum wage law.
The ordinance, co-authored by Supervisors David Campos and Eric Mar, would strengthen the city’s ability to cite employers for violations, increase monetary penalties, require employers to notify employees when they are under investigation, and require that cases are resolved within a one-year timeline.
About 100 labor and community members joined several of the supervisors at a rally outside City Hall Tuesday in support of the ordinance before it was voted on during the board’s meeting.
Mar said, “We should continue to lead the way here for basic labor protection” by passing the ordinance.
Donna Levitt, director of the city’s Office of Labor Standards Enforcement, said at the rally that her office has recovered more than $4.4 million in minimum wage violations for more than 2,500 workers since San Francisco’s minimum wage law went into effect in 2004.
Under the law, workers in San Francisco must make at least $9.92 per hour.
Attendees of the rally sang altered versions of popular songs by Beyonce and Cee Lo Green with lyrics about labor issues.
Many of the attendees came to the board’s meeting as well and applauded loudly when the board voted 11-0 in favor of the ordinance.
Final approval of the ordinance will be voted on by the board after its August recess.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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