Legislation Strengthening Protections for Immigrant Workers Passes 1st Policy Hurdle
- Created on Tuesday, 02 April 2013 12:16
Bill Protects Vulnerable Workers from Extortion
SACRAMENTO – Assembly Bill 524 by Assistant Speaker pro Tem Kevin Mullin passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee today on a vote of 5 to 2.
The bill removes ambiguity in the law and strengthens human rights protections for immigrants by including threats to report a person’s immigration status in the definition of extortion.
“California is home to over one quarter of the immigrants who live in the United States,” said Assemblymember Mullin. “We have a civic obligation to ensure our laws adequately protect all people from exploitation and workplace retaliation based on immigration status.”
A recent report by the National Employment Law Project found that labor violations and widespread retaliation have become prominent features of the low-wage labor market in California.
“In many of these [low-wage] occupations and industries, vulnerable immigrants cannot exercise their labor rights or speak out against unfair or illegal working conditions without the fear of retaliation,” said Jose Mejia of the California State Council of Laborers. “AB 524 is a major step toward improving job quality in the low-wage jobs that fuel our state’s economy and to remove the ability of employers to use immigrant status for retaliation or other unlawful purposes.”
By clarifying the definition of extortion, AB 524 will help level the playing field and prevent unethical employers from using immigration status as a means of escaping responsibility for workplace abuses, coercion, and wage theft.
Contact: Ben Turner, (916) 319-2022, ben.turner@asm.ca.gov