Dear Columbus City Council Member:

I am writing to support City Council’s efforts to pass the Wage Theft Enforcement and Prevention Ordinance. Too many Columbus employees do not receive full compensation for their hard work. Unfair employers and contractors fail to pay overtime, tips and minimum wages, misclassify employees, and take advantage of working people. This conduct also hurts the majority of businesses who follow the law and has a negative impact on our entire community. Because of lax enforcement at the state and federal level, each year the city of Columbus loses vital tax revenue and working people and their families find it harder to make ends meet.

Wage theft affects all workers. Working people of color and women are disproportionately impacted. If Columbus is to thrive as a livable city for all of its residents, it must be a place where all who work here are able to take home their full wages.

Studies indicate that wage theft is an epidemic in Ohio and across the United States. Our own city has been hit hard by the crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the economic challenges facing our fellow residents. But Columbus has an opportunity to take a stand. Together, we can make Columbus a place where the rights of workers are respected and law-abiding businesses don’t have to compete against employers who break the law.

I encourage Columbus City Council to pass Ordinance 1802-2020, Wage Theft Prevention and Enforcement. Our communities are counting on you.

Sincerely,