To address and curb the ongoing issue of wage theft and labor trafficking, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price has partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor, evidenced by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). As reported by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, the alliance is set to amplify the enforcement of labor laws. It aims to facilitate a cohesive strategy encompassing outreach, education, and law enforcement activities over the next five years.

The collaboration was formalized yesterday, as Francisco Ocampo, District Director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, joined DA Pamela Price for the signing ceremony. "The MOU ensures we form a collaborative effort to prevent wage theft," Ocampo stated via the Office of the Alameda County District Attorney's press release. Meanwhile, Deputy DA Geralyn Busnardo, who leads the prosecution of wage theft cases in the office, emphasized the widespread and critical nature of these issues, noting to the DA's office that “wage theft is a multi-billion-dollar business in the country. It is a global problem that leads to labor trafficking, and it’s impacting the most vulnerable classes of our society.”

Addressing the local community directly, DA Price articulated her office's commitment to worker protection and labor law enforcement. "This is a huge opportunity for us to serve the residents of Alameda County," Price said. She further underscored the significant grant obtained to fuel these efforts—$335,935 provided by the California Department of Industrial Relations. This funding went into effect starting August 1 and is earmarked for developing and implementing a wage theft program aimed at bringing labor law violators to justice and deterring unlawful employment practices.

A secondary announcement about the MOU was made via the AlamedaCountyDA X account, restating DA Pamela Price's engagement and underscoring the intended benefits of the partnership: maximizing collaboration, outreach, education, law enforcement, information sharing, and training. The district attorney's office now appears mobilized and poised, by this new partnership and with official backing from the state, to tackle the exploitative practices that have long plagued workers in Alameda County.

Today, #DAPamelaPrice signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Labor to combat wage theft and labor trafficking in Alameda County. The MOU will maximize collaboration, outreach education, law enforcement, information sharing, and training. #AlamedaCountyDA… pic.twitter.com/kJpjXUKeHE

— AlCo DA's Office (@AlamedaCountyDA) August 13, 2024