Labor groups are calling for Minneapolis to more proactively enforce the city’s regulations against worker wage theft and on-site harassment. They say these protections are even more important as immigrant workers are targeted by federal law enforcement operations in Minnesota and across the country.
A report released Wednesday by the progressive think tank North Star Policy Action recommended that the city use its permitting power and partner with third-party auditing programs to ensure that labor regulations already on the books are enforced.
Researcher Aaron Rosenthal said the city’s labor regulations are “impressive on paper but unlikely to be properly followed.” In most cases, Rosenthal said the regulations require workers to report abuse and that investigations can be slow and result in limited penalties focused mostly on subcontractors, rather than developers…