By Justin Strekal, CCPC Steering Committee Member and Organizer with Guardians for Fair Work
Wage theft is the most common form of property crime in the United States and currently, Cleveland does not take enforcement actions against greedy bosses who steal from their workers.
On Monday, December 5th, Cleveland City Council is anticipated to take a first step to address this pervasive practice by employers.
The Guardians for Fair Work campaign is putting out a call to action to fill City Hall with supporters to ensure not only that the legislation passes, but that City Councilmembers hear and see that being pro-worker is not only good policy, but good politics. Through our actions, we can best position Cleveland for future pro-worker policy victories.
Here’s the plan for December 5th:
6:30 – Arrive at Cleveland City Hall (601 Lakeside Ave E) where we will be passing out Guardians for Fair Work t-shirts for supporters
7:00 – Council meeting begins
8:30 – After the council meeting wraps up we will make our way to the Winking Lizard at the Galleria to post-game and plot the next steps
This bill alone will not solve all of the problems working people face here in Cleveland, nor will it alone even solve the problem of wage theft. But the Guardians campaign supports its passage with the understanding that this ordinance is a starting point and not an endpoint.
This victory will lay a foundation for us to build more proactive, pro-worker policies in the future.
And we’ll be back at it next year to make sure that the Council invests the resources needed for implementation.
Ultimately, we need a paradigm shift in how our local governments in Cuyahoga County respond to the needs of our communities. Cleveland can lead the way, but only if we demand it.
So please, join Guardians for Fair Work, leaders from the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, and many other allies at City Hall at 6:30 on Monday, December 5th. If justice isn’t enough of a motivator to get you there, you can also get a super cool shirt for free!
Currently, if an employee stole $2,900 from their company, they’d be charged with a crime. When a company steals $2,900 from their workers, they are not.
Last night I gave comment at @CleCityCouncil to discuss the @FairWorkCLE effort to take action against wage theft. pic.twitter.com/NCHfCSwhWH
— Justin Strekal (@justinstrekal) September 13, 2022
