News & Commentary August 7, 2023 Illinois and NJ are protecting temp workers from exploitation...

[Omaha Steve]

https://onlabor.org/august-7-2023/

By Michelle Berger

Michelle Berger is a student at Harvard Law School.

In today’s News and Commentary: Illinois and New Jersey are protecting temp workers from exploitation and abuse, no progress in negotiations between WGA and the studios, and strikes by hotel workers and city workers add to Southern California’s summer of labor action.

The state governments of Illinois and New Jersey have recently passed measures to protect the safety and rights of ‘temp’ workers, who are hired by staffing agencies and placed at third-party employers. These staffing agencies often hire people who would otherwise have difficulty finding work, such as immigrant workers, undocumented workers, and formerly incarcerated workers. These workers are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, such as wage theft and unsafe working conditions, because they have reason to fear retaliation for self-advocacy. The new laws mandate that workers hired through staffing agencies receive the same pay and legal protections as workers in the same jobs who are employed directly by firms. Governor Phil Murphy signed the New Jersey measure into law in February, and it went into effect on Saturday. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Illinois measure into law on Friday.

The worker center Make the Road New Jersey spearheaded advocacy for the New Jersey law, which was catalyzed in part when a van transporting temporary workers crashed last year, killing four workers and injuring eight others. In addition to provisions intended to ensure pay equity, regulate pay deductions, prohibit restrictions on permanent employment, and prevent retaliation, the new law holds staffing agencies responsible for the drivers they use to transport workers. Illinois’ version of the law, in addition to mandating pay equity, gives temp workers the right to refuse a work placement due to a labor dispute involving the firm. Importantly, Illinois’ pay equity provision only applies to temp workers once they have worked at a third-party firm for more than 90 calendar days. The staffing agency industry has strongly opposed the New Jersey law. In contrast, the industry has remained official neutral with regard to the Illinois law.

FULL story at link above.