Originally published Monday, April 25, 2011 at 4:53 PM

Seattle City Council makes wage theft a crime

The Seattle City Council on Monday voted to make wage theft, the intentional failure to pay an employee for work, a criminal offense.

By Seattle Times staff

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I just don't get this one. Isn't it already illegal at some state or even federal... (April 25, 2011, by RalphF) Read more

Time to call out employers who are doing this. Two years ago, a relative worked at... (April 25, 2011, by cleogrrl) Read more

It wasn't a crime before now?? (April 25, 2011, by antigov) Read more

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The Seattle City Council on Monday voted to make wage theft, the intentional failure to pay an employee for work, a criminal offense.

Nate Van Duzer, spokesman for Councilmember Tim Burgess, said it will be a gross misdemeanor in Seattle to knowingly withhold wages from someone who should be paid for work.

The proposal for the ordinance came after Burgess' office received "numerous reports about workers in low-wage industries in Seattle who had employers that intentionally withheld" part or all of the workers' paychecks, a memo from Burgess said.

"After my office conducted research into this issue," Burgess wrote in the memo, "I discovered that wage theft is a much more prevalent problem than I expected."

The ordinance, which the City Council passed unanimously, also gives the city power to revoke business licenses for individuals who have been convicted of wage theft.

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