LA City leaders urged to prioritize labor standards enforcement and Office of Wage Standards policy reforms despite significant budget shortfalls
The Los Angeles Worker Center Network (LAWCN) and a coalition of of over 35 worker advocates and community allies are calling on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and LA City Councilmembers to take urgent action to combat wage theft and its direct link to the city’s escalating homelessness crisis.
Citing a surge in homelessness, particularly among low-wage Latino workers, and the prevalence of labor standards violations in the city, the coalition emphasized in a letter that wage theft is a significant driver of economic instability in Los Angeles. LAWCN’s analysis reveals that 88% of workers in Los Angeles County experience labor standards violations, including unpaid overtime, earning below minimum wage, and being denied required meal and rest breaks. Nearly half of unhoused individuals in Los Angeles were employed within four years of losing their homes, and almost one in five are still working at the time of becoming unhoused.
“Wage theft is not just an economic issue; it is a direct contributor to homelessness,” said Armando Gudino, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Worker Center Network. “As we prepare to host major global events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, we have a responsibility to protect our city’s workforce and create a more just and sustainable Los Angeles.”
The coalition is calling for the expansion of the Office of Wage Standards to enforce all labor law violations, increased staffing and resources for accountability, the creation of a centralized one-stop shop for wage theft claims, and collaboration with community-based organizations and worker centers to strengthen worker protections.
“No one should work hard and still face the threat of losing their home,” said Aquilina Soriano Versoza, Executive Director of the Pilipino Workers Center. “Wage theft is a crisis that disproportionately affects low-wage workers, pushing many into economic insecurity and homelessness. By strengthening the Office of Wage Standards and worker protections and enforcing labor laws, we can break the cycle of exploitation in our city.”
With support from over 35 organizations—including LAWCN core members CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, Garment Worker Center, Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, Los Angeles Black Worker Center, Pilipino Workers Center, Warehouse Worker Resource Center, UCLA Labor Center, and Bet Tzedek Legal Services—the coalition urges city leaders to address the root causes of homelessness and economic exploitation despite the significant budget shortfalls the City of Los Angeles is expected to face this coming year.
List of supporters:
1. CLEAN Carwash Worker Center
2. Garment Worker Center
3. Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance
4. Los Angeles Black Worker Center
5. Pilipino Workers Center
6. Warehouse Worker Resource Center
7. UCLA Labor Center
8. Bet Tzedek Legal Services
9. AAPI Equity Alliance
10. CAIR-LA
11. California Immigrant Policy Center
12. Cambodia Town
13. Catalyst California
14. Chinatown Service Center
15. Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
16. Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice
17. Council of Mexican Federations in North America
18. CSU Northridge Labor Studies Program
19. Ethix Merch
20. Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA)
21. Immigrants Are LA
22. Inclusive Action for the City
23. Inland Empire Black Worker Center
24. Latino Media Collaborative
25. Little Tokyo Service Center
26. Long Beach Forward
27. Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund
28. National Asian Pacific American Families Allied for Substance Awareness and Harm Reduction
29. National Domestic Workers Alliance
30. Pomona Economic Opportunity Center
31. Public Counsel
32. San Diego Black Worker Center
33. South Asian Network
34. Special Services for Groups Weber Community Center
35. Strategic Actions for a Just Economy
36. Thai Community Development Center
37. Workers United, Western State Regional Joint Board