What Did Sheriff Candidates Say About Wage Theft?

On April 29th, Workers Interfaith Network (WIN) held a non-partisan forum for Shelby County Sheriff candidates to discuss the issue of wage theft. Candidates heard presentations from workers, attorneys, union and community organizers about wage theft in our community, including information about a proposal WIN has presented to the current Sheriff Mark Luttrell and District Attorney Bill Gibbons to treat wage theft
as a criminal offense under Tennessee's theft of services law. This proposal is similar to one currently
used by the Austin Police Department.

Candidates were asked to answer two questions:

(1)How will you address wage theft is you are elected Sheriff?

(2) Will you support Workers Interfaith Network's proposal to arrest and prosecute employers who deliberately do not pay workers for their labor, using our state's Theft of Services law?

Larry Hill (D), Randy Wade (D), James Coleman (R), and Bennie Cobb (D) all took part in the forum. You can read a transcription of their remarks on wage theft at our website, as well as previously submittede written statements by Bobby Simmons (R) and Bill Oldham (R) were not able to attend. Reginald French (D) and Dale Lane (R) were not able to attend and did not submit statements.