District 5 Councilmember Files Policy Request to Combat Wage Theft

Published on February 20, 2025

The proposal seeks to strengthen an existing City Ordinance aimed at protecting construction workers wages.

SAN ANTONIO (February 20, 2025) – Today, District 5 Councilmember Teri Castillo filed the Ensuring Integrity in Local Contracts Council Consideration Request (CCR). The policy is an anti-wage theft policy that will ensure that the City of San Antonio (COSA) does not award construction contracts to companies who steal wages from their workers. The request also seeks to increase the time workers have to report instances of wage theft to the City from 60 to 180 days, consistent with the Texas Payday Law.

According to “Build a Better Texas,” a report by Workers Defense Project detailing construction working conditions in the state, more than one in five workers (22 percent) reported being denied payment for their construction work in Texas. According to a 2022 report out of the UC Berkeley Labor Center titled “The Public Cost of Low-Wage Jobs in the Texas Construction Industry,” low wages in the construction industry have a compounding effect — nearly half of all families of construction workers in Texas are enrolled in several safety net programs.

“Everyone can agree that the people who build our beautiful city deserve to be paid for their hard labor,” Councilmember Teri Castillo stated. “With this proposal, District 5 is putting advocacy into action to protect construction workers and their families from wage theft.

"We applaud Councilmember Castillo's leadership in addressing the pervasive issue of wage theft in San Antonio’s booming construction industry," said Kavin Griffin, Executive Secretary-Treasurer and CEO of the Central South Carpenters Regional Council. "This policy request is a crucial step toward ensuring that hardworking carpenters receive the fair wages they've earned. Holding contractors accountable for wage theft protects workers and their families while also leveling the playing field for responsible contractors. We urge the City Council to swiftly adopt these vital protections."

Specifically, the policy requests potential updates for the following:

• Improvements for reporting and accountability standards for COSA contracts
• Requirements for the City of San Antonio to avoid contracts and/or terminate contracts with companies who violate wage and labor standard provisions
• Expand the time frame for which construction workers can report wage theft (currently 60 days)
• Develop a wage theft database by reviewing ordinances in other Texas cities that have developed databases of bad actors

The CCR received supporting signatures from Council Districts 2, 3, 4, and 6.