Title
Ordinance amending and supplementing the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances, Title One, Administrative, Article VII, Procedures, Chapter 161, Contracts, Section 161.22 Debarment From Bidding On And Participating In City Contracts by adding Companies and Organizations Found in Violation of Wage Theft Laws to the list of persons and enterprises prohibited from bidding on and participating in City contractors.
Body
WHEREAS, wage theft, the illegal non-payment or underpayment of wages, is a growing trend, especially affecting workers in low-wage jobs, such as food service and caregivers for children and the elderly; and,
WHEREAS, using a variety of tactics, such as withholding overtime payments, violating minimum wage laws, and misclassifying workers as independent contractors, employers disproportionately target immigrant and refugee workers and others who may be unaware of their rights or recourse to recover lost wages; and,
WHEREAS, a study conducted by Temple University's Beasley School of Law found that Pennsylvanians lose an estimated $19 million-$32 million in pay during any given workweek due to pervasive wage theft; and,
WHEREAS, the study also discovered that vulnerable workers and their families have lost an average of 15% of their annual earnings, resulting in unpaid bills and even decisions to forego eating.
Be it resolved that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby enacts as follows:
The Pittsburgh Code, Title I Administrative, Article VII, Procedures, Chapter 161, Contracts, Section 161.22 Debarment From Bidding On And Participating In City Contracts is hereby amended as follows:
Section 1.
? 161.22 - DEBARMENT FROM BIDDING ON AND PARTICIPATING IN CITY CONTRACTS.
(a) Definitions. The following words and phrases when used in this section shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1)AFFILIATE. Persons directly or indirectly, either one (1) controls or can control the other,...
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