City Attorney seeks dedicated worker‑protection team and more GVRO staff to pursue wage‑theft and gun‑risk cases
June 15, 2022 | San Francisco County, California
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City Attorney Chesa Boudin told the Budget & Appropriations Committee on June 15 that his office needs new, focused staff to go after systemic private‑sector worker abuses and to expand use of the state’s red‑flag law.
Boudin asked the committee to consider adding a three‑person team to focus on exploited private‑sector workers and wage‑theft enforcement — a city attorney to lead the unit plus two deputy attorneys — noting the high volume of violations and the backlog at state enforcement agencies. “With a dedicated team, we can do much more to protect exploited workers,” Boudin said, citing the office’s largest‑ever settlement in an OLSE enforcement action against a gig platform.
He also asked for two additional litigation attorneys to increase the number of gun‑violence restraining orders (GVROs) filed by the city; Boudin pointed to other counties that file many more GVROs and argued the city could use a pro‑active filing program to keep guns from people who present a danger.
Supervisors expressed broad support for stronger enforcement of worker protections, but asked for further information about how new city attorney staff would coordinate with the District Attorney’s criminal authorities and with the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE). Boudin said civil and criminal offices can bring complementary tools and suggested the Board ask the BLA to examine coordination and existing unit staffing at the DA and city attorney offices.
The city attorney also reviewed other budget requests; he reported a big reduction in his office’s vacancies since he took office and described steps to expedite hiring, reclassify difficult‑to‑fill positions and improve transfer and promotion processes.
What’s next: Supervisors asked the city attorney and BLA to return with options for funding these new enforcement positions, including reviewing whether cost recoveries from litigation settlements (Business & Professions Code fee awards) can support hiring for affirmative enforcement work.
Sources: City Attorney Chesa Boudin presentation and Q&A, Budget & Appropriations Committee hearing, June 15, 2022.
Boudin asked the committee to consider adding a three‑person team to focus on exploited private‑sector workers and wage‑theft enforcement — a city attorney to lead the unit plus two deputy attorneys — noting the high volume of violations and the backlog at state enforcement agencies. “With a dedicated team, we can do much more to protect exploited workers,” Boudin said, citing the office’s largest‑ever settlement in an OLSE enforcement action against a gig platform.
He also asked for two additional litigation attorneys to increase the number of gun‑violence restraining orders (GVROs) filed by the city; Boudin pointed to other counties that file many more GVROs and argued the city could use a pro‑active filing program to keep guns from people who present a danger.
Supervisors expressed broad support for stronger enforcement of worker protections, but asked for further information about how new city attorney staff would coordinate with the District Attorney’s criminal authorities and with the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE). Boudin said civil and criminal offices can bring complementary tools and suggested the Board ask the BLA to examine coordination and existing unit staffing at the DA and city attorney offices.
The city attorney also reviewed other budget requests; he reported a big reduction in his office’s vacancies since he took office and described steps to expedite hiring, reclassify difficult‑to‑fill positions and improve transfer and promotion processes.
What’s next: Supervisors asked the city attorney and BLA to return with options for funding these new enforcement positions, including reviewing whether cost recoveries from litigation settlements (Business & Professions Code fee awards) can support hiring for affirmative enforcement work.
Sources: City Attorney Chesa Boudin presentation and Q&A, Budget & Appropriations Committee hearing, June 15, 2022.
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