Mayor Newsom statement
on minimum wage enforcement compromise

From the Mayor's Office of Communications

June 22, 2006

“I am pleased that Supervisor Maxwell and I have found common ground on this legislation and have agreed to fund more enforcement resources without imposing a local fee on businesses.

While I have fully supported increasing resources to the Office of Labor Enforcement (OLSE) for increased minimum wage enforcement, I have been concerned about new citywide fee on merchants and business to achieve this enhancement. Simply put, I believe we must first look within the City budget to fund expanded enforcement on laws passed at City Hall, rather than requiring local business to fund enforcement of such laws.

Supervisor Maxwell deserves great credit for seeking to ensure that the City has adequate resources to enforce this ordinance. Indeed, the dialogue she initiated has resulted in placing increased priority on these enforcement resources and increasing protection for San Francisco’s most vulnerable workers.

I look forward to supporting these new enforcement resources in the subsequent fiscal year and in future budget years. Indeed, we will continue to work collaboratively with Supervisor Maxwell and Board members to ensure that OLSE has the resources it needs to enforce critical workplace laws.”

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