By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
The Princeton Council will seek to protect illegal immigrants and others who work for landscapers from being victims of wage theft, even if they are employed in under-the-table arrangements.
The council on Monday introduced an ordinance that will require all landscaping businesses that do work in Princeton to register with the municipal infrastructure and operations department.
As part of their registration, they must acknowledge they are familiar with and have copies of federal and state wage laws and workers’ compensation laws. If a landscaper is found guilty of violating any them, he or she could be barred from doing work in Princeton.
Princeton would be the second municipality in the state with a wage-theft protection; New Brunswick had adopted a similar measure. The measure will go on the books in time for this summer.
The council also is planning to take other, similar steps to protect workers in the restaurant and construction sectors from being victims of wage theft, officials said this week.
"We know that wage theft is happening nationally, in New Jersey and in Princeton," Councilwoman Heather H. Howard said Thursday. "Wage theft is a pernicious problem."
In her day job at Princeton University, Ms. Howard said the salaries of her staff of four employees are in the "tens of thousands" of dollars, salaries that the university sets based on experience, qualifications and education. She said the pay is more than the minimum wage.
The impetus for this measure came from the municipal Human Services Commission, which has taken up the cause of illegal immigrants living in the community. Large numbers of them — drawing from parts of Central America — live in the formerly predominately black Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood.
Princeton is looked at as a haven for illegal immigrants, as local police have a policy of limited cooperation with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The department will not hand over anyone they arrest who also happens to be wanted for being in the country illegally.
Resident John Heilner, a member of the commission, said Wednesday the goal is to protect workers’ rights and ensure that workers are being treated fairly. He said most landscapers follow the rules, but some don’t.
"Most employers don’t violate the law, but for the few who do, we want to make sure there’s enforcement and protection of workers," Ms. Howard said.
The measure would protect anyone who works for a landscaper.
Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller, a supporter of the ordinance, said the measure is primarily directed toward undocumented immigrants, people she said who are afraid to come forward to report wage theft for fear of being deported.
The ordinance would provide protections to workers, regardless if they are getting paid under the table. Ms. Crumiller said those arrangements are prevalent in restaurants and landscaping.
