Temporary worker rights campaign

In Massachusetts over 25,000 temporary workers perform low-wage industrial and commercial work.  They toil in jobs with unpredictable schedules, dangerous working conditions, a lack of workers’ compensation, and extremely low pay or even nonpayment of wages. 

The presentation will cover state legislation as a strategy to address the problem and describe successes and challenges implementing the legislation.  Although temp workers are legally covered by health and safety rules (OSHA) and wage and hour laws, the conditions under which they are hired often preclude enforcement of those rights.  Often a temp agency is known only by a first name and a cell phone number.  Consequently, when a worker has a complaint he/she may not be able to identify the employer in order for government agencies to enforce the law.  Also, since many temps are immigrants, they frequently do not know their rights or are fearful of asserting them.  To address this situation a coalition of organizations – labor, community, immigrant – campaigned for a law that would require temp agencies to provide information about their identity and employment conditions.  

Since passage of the law, coalition members and the Massachusetts Labor Department (DLS) have cooperated in the law’s enforcement.  Coalition members have gone to temp worker pick-up sites to inform workers of their rights and visited temp agencies.  Agencies that are in apparent violation are reported to DLS which has consistently followed-up with on-site inspections.  Every 3-4 months DLS staff and coalition members have met to discuss progress and difficulties in enforcement.