California Gov. Jerry Brown
California is making it
harder for companies to pass the buck when their workers are abused or cheated. Many companies outsource work to temp agencies so that if workers aren't paid the minimum wage or are hurt or killed on the job, the temp agency, not the company at the top, is held responsible. But a new California law, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday night, aims to put a stop to that:
AB 1897 will require "the client employer to share with a labor contractor all civil legal responsibility and civil liability" for paying wages to workers. It will also "prohibit a client employer from shifting to the labor contractor legal duties or liabilities" when it comes to workplace safety.
In other words, the state can now fine companies when their temp firms flout workplace laws.
Temp workers face
dramatically higher safety risks.
In California, temp workers are 50 percent more likely to be injured on the job than regular employees and twice as likely to suffer heat exhaustion. What's more:
... the data shows the problem is worsening. Over the past five years, the claims rate of temp workers has increased in Florida, California, Oregon and Massachusetts, while that of regular workers has held steady or fallen.
Temp workers are also frequently cheated on pay. And it's especially difficult for them to fight back. In fact, another reason companies use temp workers is to head off organizing efforts, since the workers have zero job security and are less likely to be around long enough to organize.
Holding companies responsible for the workers laboring in their factories, warehouses, restaurants, and other workplaces is gaining momentum as a way to improve wages and working conditions not just for temp workers, but for workers in franchise restaurants and more. If the work is being done for Walmart or McDonald's or Taylor Farms, those companies shouldn't be able to deny responsibility for wage theft or injuries by pointing at a subcontractor or franchisee. If you take away the ability to pass the buck, you give workers a way to demand accountability and get justice. And that, eventually, is a way to improve conditions for all kinds of workers.