Across employment sectors, wages are not keeping pace with the rising cost of living in Lynn. Lynn workers are paid less than workers in neighboring cities and the state average. Construction and other types of short-term employment often bring in out-of-town contractors with bad practices – unsafe workplaces, unpaid workers, and unclean environments. Many of these jobs do not have the protections guaranteed by union membership. Lynn passed a Wage Theft ordinance last year that requires all employers treat Lynn’s workforce fairly and with respect, yet due to legal loopholes, this ordinance is not being enforced. We support expanding and strengthening the city’s wage theft ordinance to ensure that all employers in Lynn have a level playing field, to give preference to local and union work whenever legally possible, and to expand union training and recruitment programs so that all jobs in Lynn are good jobs.