Labor Code Division 2, Part 11, Chapter 4 provides for the “garment worker wage claim pilot program.” Section 2693 provides legislative findings and declarations that the garment industry is rife with both egregious wage violations and flagrant health and safety violations.
Section 2693.1 requires, upon appropriation of funds, the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) to establish and maintain a Garment Worker Wage Claim Pilot Program. The DIR is required to contract to provide resources to qualified organizations. The program includes education for garment workers, direct assistance, and legal assistance.
All education and services provided in this section are to be free and accessible to any garment worker in California. The term “qualified organization” means a legal aid or community-based nonprofit organization meeting specified conditions.