Press Release

HOUSTON – After months of door-to-door organizing, petitioning, phone calls to lawmakers and more by a coalition of more than 30 community, faith and labor groups including Working America and Fe y Justicia Worker Center, the Houston City Council passed a historic city wage theft ordinance that restricts the city from doing business with wage theft offenders.  Houston is the first city in Texas to do so.

The ordinance provides a process to bring wage-theft claims forward and calls for the city to build a public database to track and bar wage theft offenders from getting city contracts, permits or licenses.

“The Houston City Council’s passage of this ordinance proves that the voice of the people is stronger than the checkbooks of special interests,” said Working America member Elisabeth Johnson. “I’m excited to be part of this amazing movement and look forward to the next fight.”

Johnson collected letters in favor of the ordinance and spoke at the recent city council meeting where the ordinance was considered.

“We went door-to-door talking to thousands of Houstonians, mobilizing them to call, write and push the City Council to stop allowing a few businesses to take advantage of working families,” said Durrel Douglas, Working America Texas State Director. “We called on our lawmakers to listen to the people—and they did.”

The ordinance goes into effect immediately.