| February 15, 2005
Legislative Briefing
Bill: The Day and Temporary Labor Service
Act
Position: Support
Rational: Over 300,000 workers work
everyday as day or temporary laborers in Illinois.
Approximately 150 Day
Labor and Temporary Labor Service Agencies with nearly
600 branch offices are licensed throughout Illinois.
In addition, there is a large, though unknown, number
of unlicensed day labor and temporary labor service
agencies which operate below the radar of law enforcement.
Recent studies and a
survey of low-wage day and temporary laborers themselves
finds that as a group, they are particularly vulnerable
to abuse of their labor rights, minimum wage and overtime
violations, and unlawful deductions from pay for meals,
transportation, equipment and other items.
Current law is inadequate
to protect the labor and employment rights of these
workers. This bill proposes the following:
-
Stronger tools for enforcement
of the requirements that agencies register with
the Illinois Dept. of Labor.
-
Requires companies to contract
only with registered agencies.
-
Stiffer penalties for violations.
-
Creates a private right of action
for day laborers to enforce the Act’s provisions.
The Chicago Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
/ (312) 222-1000
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