L.A. Times: Labor advocates push for law making wage theft a criminal offense in L.A.

Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon plans to introduce a motion on Tuesday directing the city attorney’s office to write an ordinance that would criminalize nonpayment of wages. This would change the current situation from where an employer is currently only at risk of a civil suit for non-payment to where prosecutors would be allowed to charge the employer with a misdemeanor.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/labor-advocates-push-for-wage-theft-law.html