Passaic ordinance aims to protect workers from wage theft, close legal "gap"
According to the mayor, existing labor laws do not always fully protect individuals who are not formal employees of a company — including independent contractors, domestic workers, landscapers, handymen, cosmetologists and others hired on an as-needed basis.
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City leaders in Passaic are introducing a new ordinance they say is designed to protect workers from wage theft and close what officials describe as a gap in current labor protections, particularly for independent contractors and small-scale service workers.
Mayor Hector Lora said the proposal was inspired by a news report out of Maryland involving workers on a roofing job who were allegedly not paid after the work was completed. He said the situation raised broader concerns about whether current laws adequately protect individuals who provide labor on a job-by-job basis.
“A fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay is a principle we believe in,” Lora said.
According to the mayor, existing labor laws do not always fully protect individuals who are not formal employees of a company — including independent contractors, domestic workers, landscapers, handymen, cosmetologists, and others hired on an as-needed basis.
He said those workers often fall outside traditional wage protections because they are not classified as full-time employees, making it more difficult for them to recover unpaid wages through civil court.
“These are individuals who may not have the resources or ability to fight for themselves,” Lora said. “If someone does a job and completes that work, they deserve to be paid for it.”
The ordinance would allow the city to step in and investigate complaints where workers allege they were not paid for services rendered. City officials would review cases and determine whether penalties should apply.
“Now this ordinance, in no way, shape or form, addresses issues of someone violating the law or meeting obligations for the services they’re providing,” he said. “But if you agreed to pay someone for a service and they performed that service, you don’t get to avoid paying them.”
He also argued that withholding payment by leveraging fear or unrelated legal concerns is unacceptable.
“If you did the work and did it well, you deserve to be paid,” Lora said. “And no one should use fear to avoid paying someone what they are owed.”
Officials say the proposal is now being presented to the City Council for consideration. If approved, violations could result in penalties for employers, including the potential loss of municipal permits.
Lora said the goal is to deter wage theft and reinforce a basic standard: that work completed must be paid.
“This isn’t about politics,” he said. “If you work, you deserve to get paid.”
The mayor says he hopes other municipalities would consider this initiative.
