did we have to expose this. it is the work on the ground. we are able to lift up the voices of workers and the epidemic happening in the communities. the workers can feel empowered to come forward. the tens of thousands of wages we of one recently has increased other workers to come forward, and we appreciate the effort of the committee and the legislation to create this task force. >> [speaking spanish] >> good morning, supervisors. i am a member of young workers united.

the main reason i got involved with young workers united is because i was suffering from an abusive from my boss at work. >> [speaking spanish] >> so when i started working at the restaurant i was training for two weeks with no pay. >> [speaking spanish] >> so after working there, when

i started working full time, my boss said for a full-time work i was doing, i would only get $200 per week. >> [speaking spanish] >> i was working full-time and over time, and my overtime pay was never paid to me, and i never got any breaks. >> [speaking spanish]

>> so for the $200 a week, i was working there sometimes eight hours, sometimes 12 hours, sometimes he tell me when i could go. during this whole time i had no breaks. i was cleaning every inch of this restaurant from the kitchen, outside, and dining hall, and it was a lot of pressure. >> [speaking spanish]

>> so his demeanor was actually a really bad one. he would pressure us a lot, even to the point of scaring us. that is why i was tired of working there and had the courage to file a wage claim. >> [speaking spanish]

>> [inaudible] >> gracias. [applause] >> next speaker, please. >> my name is tiffany crane, and i am wort with young workers un we see many workers who walked through our day telling stories of wage steps. i am here to say that we also have challenges to get workers paid. we have a real strong community backing, but we still have

problems getting workers paid. we have seen how the collaboration between departments in the city and working with the city has been helpful,, in one case in particular we had a restaurant where workers were owed and $20,000, and after the state issued a judgment, the workers were owed the money and we put pressure on the employer to pay. it was almost a year after the judgment when we went to the department of public health. there was one hearing where the employer was called in, and the department of public health said they would suspend the license of this particular restaurant if it did not pay the workers. within seven days they were paid with a cashier's check. we see the power of the different departments to help. we think the value of the task force is great.

we do want to go after the bad actors and support the response will businesses, and in this case, we have responsible businesses at the table to talk about how this affects business is doing the right thing. we do want to support business is doing the right thing. this will give an opportunity for voices to be heard, and the powers of ideas for all different departments and responsible businesses to create a task force that will continue to lead the country and worker rights and striving businesses. >> good morning, supervisors. i am with the chinese workers' association. we have been serving the chinese community for 40 years now. i want to recognize there are

many workers an audience today, and not everyone is share -- ready to share their story with you because the threat of retaliation is very real. we have allies with the progress of workers alliance. we were to end wage theft. we also work with workers to end wage theft in their workplace. just this past month at the chinese workers' association we have four cases in chinatown, one case from the senate of district. as you can see, it is happening throughout the city. >> most of the cases are currently in the restaurant industry. some include workers employers paying $250 per month for

working six days a week. that is less than $4 an hour without any overtime calculation. there are cases where workers have not paid for many months. even though the progress of workers alliance and progress of agency have really good victories, waged that is still a huge issue in the community. the city can better use the resources by having the city agencies work together. it is also an for and for them to work together with community organization that has a long- term relationship and underserved communities. we hope you can support this task force, as well as to support the community. to g>> [inaudible] >> good morning, supervisors. my name is johanas.

[unintelligible] >> i am a member of china's progress of association as well. i used to be a delivery driver. because might employer exploited the fact that they did not know what workers' rights were, they did not pay the overtime. because i thought that was fair, i went to the the labor enforcement agency. in the end, i got what i was owed in wages. >>actually, i was very lucky ben that these agencies were able to

help me. a lot of people are afraid to stand up because they are afraid they will lose their job and not be able to make a living. so this is not just my experience, it is pretty prevalent, and not just in the chinese community. it happens in a different communities of color. it happens in white communities as well. it is not just affecting workers, but also families, responsible businesses, and the economy.

that is why last year the chinese progress of the association passed the ordinance to end a wavewage theft, and wee you will support this task force. ignoring and >> good morning. i am the workers' rights coordinating attorney. the poverty caused by an unabated widespread theft of labor embarrasses the city. kymmenyet san francisco is homen embarrassment of riches and strong community organizations and dynamic progressive city agencies. it is our effort -- of our efforts are fragmented, we

squander our unique gift. this is why we are asking for a wage theft task force. we have had the privilege of collaborating with the district attorney's office in their criminal prosecution of a contractor who defrauded homeowners and stole from 14 day labor clients. it has been privileged also to collaborate with office of labor standards enforcement, and the city attorney's office in a large wage death lawsuit against power car wash. by way of example, these cases stand to correct abuses in an entire industry that are rife with unlawful exploitation. our experience has revealed of an enormous opportunity for collaboration between agencies and community organization with

each side bringing an essential strength to effectively aid -- and a wage thaend wafage theft. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am here on behalf of komen members. coleman advocates in district 11 and part of the progress of workers alliance. we have recently launched a johns campaign of which wage that in workers' rights in general is a very important piece, because it is not just about creating jobs, but about insuring jobs have good working conditions, and people are able to stay in their jobs without fear of being exploited. i also want to talk about our region and enforcement.

the progress of workers alliance is extent -- asking for funds for an officer, because currently they are at capacity with regards to being able to enforce. additionally, our research and education is very important. there are many workers in the city that do not know their rights, and there are only three that are currently doing our reatreach. we are asking for $110,000 for an additional position, and $295,000 for increased funds for the worker's right collaborative. thank you. >> good morning, committee members. my name is connie ford, the secretary-treasurer of opeu local three, and in here to lend my support to this gallant

effort. as we know, waste that is a crime. it is not only for those of us suffer from not getting their fair competition, but also a crime against the city. whether it is the health department so the public health department has to pay more money or whether they pay more for emergency rooms, which you all know is the most costly health care expense and our city. it is a crime against the treasury, because it does not give us the necessary compensation of taxes. also, a crime against good employers, because we have many good employers that are doing the right thing, following the values, paying a living wage, health care, supporting their workers and doing the best they can. if the competition happens to be those that do not follow rules,

then something has to give. this is the next up and elevating the issue out of the shadows. whether it is construction, or all the other examples you have heard here today. time to lift this up a little bit further and bring city departments together, along with the community and continue to fight this epidemic, because we in sampras's go have great values. we believe in living wage and for health care, and we also believe every worker should be paid fair and just. think you. ank you. supervisor avalos: thank you. ok, please. >>please come to the center ais.

>> i want to say a few words. i do not speak english, i am sorry. i work in a chinese restaurant, but this problem is very prevalent. some employers do not pay overtime. >> [unintelligible]

>> a lot of employers are looking at each other. they are just watching each other, and the standards are getting lower and lower. i>> [speaking foreign language] >> if we want the employers to abide by the rules, then we need to enforce the laws and make them feel if they violate the law, they should be scared of the consequences. >> [speaking foreign language]

>> it the employegf the employeg higher wages, everyone wins. the economy gets better, and workers get treated well. >> [speaking foregin language] >> i am also a victim of wage thaeft. they are afraid of the threat of being closed down. it is important to work with olsc, so even the threat of

closing down, the employers are really afraid. >> [speaking foregin language] >> into zelda and three of work in a place by the golden gate bridge. i worked there for a month and was not paid for the whole month. i did name, we were not able to recover our wages because the boss ran away and disappeared. >> [speaking foreign l

anguage] > we can hear a translation d really quick wrap up after that. >> he said currently i have another case where i work over 12 hours a day, and the employer does not pay me over time. this case is going through right now. we hope the city can address

this issue. supervisor avalos: thank you. [laughter] [applause] [applause] >> my name is karen you. i want to confirm that the health department is in support of this task force. we have been working with the past year-and-a-half for some of the community groups in bringing employers to take their responsibilities as employers. supervisor avalos: thank you. any other member of the public that would like to speak? >> donna levit. good morning. i had the office of labor standards enforcement, and i would like to also add our support to the record of the task force. office of labor standards enforcement has worked hard to establish a speck of working relationships with other city

agencies. this will bring us in the same room to collaborate and strategizing with members of the community with business representatives and community- based organizations, and i look forward to working with the task force to move this work for work. thank you very much for your leadership around this issue. supervisor avalos: thank you. we will close public comment. first off, i would like to thank people for being here. those who spoke in did not speak. and your courage for coming here, knowing there are perhaps risks at a time to speak out. i want to thank the translators who came to the podium, the ones that a translating my earphones. i also want to thank the efforts

around the budget and making sure it can be stuffed, and worker rights community group is continuing as well, and so we would like to have a continuance as we prepare the budget for the next year. in my district, we've seen a lot of investments that are made all over sentences go for work force, commercial corridors, for big development projects. i think it is important that we look at worker rights, and understand a large part of san francisco who was working in our local economy does not always have the same rights as others, and we need to make sure we are equalizing the playing field. the office of labor standards enforcement plays that role. your work in the community plays that role. workers coming forward helps to play that role. i think the task force will be really important to make sure that we have real recommendations that can strengthen workforce

development and against wage theft. in my district i am looking at putting in resources for serving workers, many of them who are immigrants, and worker rights in district 11. i want to thank you for your efforts in making that come forward. the folks that are representing the residents from district 11 for your work. this is a separate issue, but i see it as very related. i will be supported as we move forward. i am sure everyone on the panel wants to speak, so first up is supervisor olague. supervisor olage: i especilaguei especially want to thank the workers are having the courage to come up and speak against this. a movement is nothing without the workers having the courage to come forward.

we would not be anywhere if the workers did not have the courage to stand up for justice in the workplace. i am especially grateful to the workers, because their car ri ourage will mean more justice and better situation for their co-workers. i think that is where we start, because it no one stepped forward, we would not be anywhere in this conversation today. i just wanted to mention that, and of course to the activists that have been vigilant in their work. i think it really takes that, because they do not know where they will land. they did not know if they will have to deal with retribution from their employer, so it is always a precarious situation for those that are sometimes living hand to mouth and taking care of families.

it takes a special person to really come forward for that. i wanted to make mention of it. also, i think one thing -- i should not even say this perhaps, but the task force, i hope, deals with all employees. i am not suggesting anything other than we guard against racial profiling of certain businesses, too. this is something i thought i should mention, because these types of injustices have occurred at many workplaces, so we want to make sure we are not signalling out certain folks for this, and i do not think we would be. something that wanted to make mention of. finally, i think this is really showing that a lot of the conversations have been out there for many years. this did not start with the minimum wage campaign, but that

let them start with paid sick leave and how to create a more just space for people to work in. i just think that one movement winds to the other to the other to the other. i think the establishment of this task force is just the beginning of hopefully more focus on trying to prevent exploitation of workers at the workplace. i am just really happy to support this. again, there is a lot more work to do, but i fully support it. supervisor mar: i just wanted to thank the community-based organizations for bringing up the stories of workers and businesses that are trying hard to end wage theft.