Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Ray Mueller, District 3
Supervisor Jackie Speier, District 1
Subject: Introduction of an Ordinance amending Chapter 5.158 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code to clarify and strengthen minimum wage enforcement procedures.
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Introduction of an ordinance amending Chapter 5.158 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code to clarify and strengthen minimum wage enforcement procedures by authorizing the Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement to implement and enforce the minimum wage in the unincorporated areas of the County, and waive the reading of the ordinance in its entirety.
body
BACKGROUND:
On December 6, 2022, the Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance adding Chapter 5.158 to Title 5 of the Ordinance Code ("Minimum Wage Ordinance"), establishing a minimum wage for workers in the unincorporated areas of the County that exceeded the minimum set by California law, beginning with an hourly rate of $16.50 in 2023 and taking into account CPI increases in subsequent years. The Minimum Wage Ordinance was intended to improve consistency with previously enacted local ordinances in San Mateo County cities and to improve the well-being of workers living and working within the unincorporated areas of the county.
Currently, workers may enforce their rights under the Minimum Wage Ordinance by filing a claim with the California Labor Commissioner or through a lawsuit. The County may also enforce the Minimum Wage Ordinance, but the existing code does not provide any specific enforcement procedures.
On October 10, 2023, the State of California enacted Assembly Bill 594 (AB 594), which expressly grants local public prosecutors, including District Attorneys and County Counsel, the authority to initiate civil or criminal actions against employers for specified violations of the California Labor Code. This expanded authority...
Click here for full text