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UCLA Labor Center
An attorney, she's Legal and Policy Research Manager at the UCLA Labor Center
PROFILE
Tia Koonse
Guest
FROM Tia Koonse
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Underground Economy and the Minimum Wage The Los Angeles City Council is debating today whether to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by the year 2020 -- considerably higher than either the state or federal requirement. We commonly think of people making the minimum wage as the lowest paid workers; it is the MINIMUM wage, after all. But one study suggests that a third of all workers in Los Angeles actually make less than the minimum wage. How can that be?
Which Way, L.A.?
Los Angeles: The Nation's Capital of Wage Theft Employers of low-wage workers in Los Angeles lead the nation for making employees work through breaks, for failing to pay the minimum wage, much less overtime --- and for taking illegal deductions. The garment industry is notorious, and last week the state Labor Commissioner cited 35 carwashes -- from El Monte to Compton to Santa Clarita -- for stealing $1.3 million from 400 employees.
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Bookworm
Morgan Parker: There Are More Beautiful Things than Beyoncé Morgan Parker says that the poems in her book There Are Things More Beautiful than Beyonce take a stand against the clichés of the dominant culture.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Gov. Jerry Brown: California and China will fight climate change together President Donald Trump reportedly wants the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and he’s expected to announce a decision soon. California Governor Jerry Brown heads to China to strengthen climate and clean energy ties.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why is Trump so behind on filling staff jobs, establishing concrete policies? Yesterday Donald Trump signed a “decision memo” to revamp the air traffic control system. But there was little legislative detail in the plan. There’s not much to other splashy announcements from the White House, including tax cuts and the arms deal with Saudi Arabia. And hundreds of positions are unfilled in federal agencies.