Page 2 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MAy 1, 2026 City Council approves wage theft ordinance in 9–2 vote; data center proposals sent for study By Neil Zolot T he City Council approved final ordainment of an ordinance promoting fair labor standards and preventing wage theft by a vote of 9-2 at their meeting on Monday, April 27, with Councillor-at-Large Michael Marchese and Ward 1 Councillor Michele Capone dissenting. It reads, “The purpose is to promote fair labor standards and lawful wage practices, prevent wage theft, ensure the City contracts only with responsible employers, protect workers through a transparent 8 Norwood St. Everett (617) 387-9810 Open Tues. - Sat. at 4:00 PM Closed Sun. & Mon. Announcing our Classic Specials Dine In Only: * FREE Salad with purchase of Entree, Tuesdays & Wednesdays * Cheese Pizza - Only $10 Catch ALL The Live Sports Action On Our Large Screen TV’s Scan & Follow Us on Facebook! complaint process and safeguard taxpayer funds from supporting employers who violate wage and hour laws.” The ordinance applies to contractors applying for permits or tax incentives, with denial of issuance as a possible outcome. Wage theft is defined as failure to pay minimum wage, overtime, the prevailing wage and/ or pay in a timely fashion. Making unlawful deductions from wages and misclassification of employees as independent contractors are other elements. In discussion, Marchese asked if the ordinance would affect small family businesses with relatives as employees that don’t get paid in the legal sense. Capone did not speak. At the www.810bargrille.com March 23 meeting she objected on the grounds the City of Everett can’t enforce all the regulations. “It would only affect the businesses committing wage theft,” Ward 2 Councillor Stephanie Martins told Marchese. “We would not go business to business to audit businesses. We will not be inspecting businesses but will have the right to take action. It creates a system for employees to report wage theft and gives the City the right not to do business or limit contracts with businesses committing wage theft. It would only affect businesses committing wage theft.” In Public Participation, State Senator Sal DiDomenico spoke in favor of passage. “I don’t usually come to City Council meetings because when I was in your position, I didn’t want state legislators telling me what to do, but wage theft is prevalent in our state; it’s my bill at the State House,” he said. “It’s prevalent in the construction and hospitality industries and leaves employees with late pay or no pay at all. We need to be on the side of residents. Workers are afraid to come forward for fear of losing their jobs, and bad actors do this because they get away with it. They will run the risk of doing this because they get away with it.” He also said not paying employees on time or anything at all allows contractors to submit low bids for projects and Chelsea, which he also represents, has passed a wage theft prevention ordinance. James Burrows of North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters also spoke in Public Participation. He said the ordinance would “address a very real problem faced by workers. It gives Everett the ability to pursue cases. It’s especially important for independent, nonunion workers.” In other action, the members sent two proposals to limit or ban data centers to subcommittees or other committees for study. A proposal to “regulate data centers” was sent to the Planning Board, and one to add data centers as a prohibited use in the Docklands Innovation District in the Commercial Triangle bordered by Lower Broadway, Revere Beach Parkway and the Mystic River was sent to the Subcommittee on Legislative Affairs. Councillor-at-Large Katy Rogers explained that an outright ban is legally problematic and the ordinance needs to be refined. A data center is a facility that enables the internet by processing data. E-mail, web searches and virtually everything the internet is used for uses them. The Science Feedback website reports there are 9,000 in the world, but more are needed and planned. “Without them, our tightly interconnected civilization would not exist,” it explains. It also reports data centers need and use a lot of power, often drawn from local grids, including power needed for cooling. Up to one-third of the power needed may be for cooling. They can run on solar and wind power, but the inconsistency of those sources requires conventional sources of power as well. Water needed for cooling can affect water rates for an entire community. In Public Participation, resident John Burns said The Davis Companies’ pursuit of regulations to allow a data center shows “no consideration for the people of Everett. They say they don’t want to build one, but want access to. To me that doesn’t make sense. They’re trying to make sure they can do ORDINANCE | SEE PAGE 9 Spring is Here! 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Celebrating 67 Years in Business! n Roofing fng
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