LOS ANGELES — The state of California plans to seek revisions in a law that holds manufacturers and contractors jointly liable for unpaid wages.
Jose Millan, deputy secretary for enforcement of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, told an apparel industry meeting on Wednesday that his office would work with the legislature when it convenes in January to reexamine the measure.
“It’s tragic when a retailer chooses not to manufacture here because of this law,” he said.
The law has been in effect since January 2000. Some retailers, who often act as manufacturers, said they should not be held legally responsible for another firm’s practices.
In a separate development, Donna Dell, an executive at one of the biggest U.S. facilities service contractors, was sworn in this week as California’s labor commissioner. The position has been vacant since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took office in January.
Dell arrives in Sacramento from ABM Industries Inc., based in San Francisco, where she spent 10 years, most recently as senior vice president of human resources. ABM had $2.26 billion in revenues last year and employed more than 70,000 people.