Community organizer and advocate Michelle “Michi” Sanchez has officially launched her campaign for the position of Georgia Labor Commissioner. Sanchez aims to transform the role from a largely administrative function into a vigorous advocate for working families throughout the state. Her candidacy comes ahead of the Democratic primary, scheduled for May 19, 2024.
Sanchez’s platform addresses urgent issues like wage theft, worker exploitation, and accountability within a system she believes has neglected the needs of the workforce for too long. She stated, “Georgia’s Labor Commissioner should be more than a paperwork shuffler; they should be a champion for the people whose labor builds this state every day.”
The statistics Sanchez cites underscore her concerns. Although inflation has surged over 80%, Georgia’s minimum wage remains stagnant at $5.15 per hour, a figure that is effectively overridden by the federal minimum wage of $7.25. She highlighted a staggering reality: “$450 million is stolen from Georgia workers every year through wage theft. That is not just policy failure, that is injustice.”
Sanchez’s extensive background in grassroots organizing spans over a decade, encompassing a variety of roles across metro Atlanta and rural north Georgia. Her work includes initiatives with organizations such as the New Georgia Project, Poder Latinx, and the Democratic Party of Georgia. Notably, she led innovative civic engagement efforts, including the “Tamales to the Polls” initiative, aimed at increasing voter participation.
The campaign is deeply personal for Sanchez, whose daughter, Hayley, passed away shortly before her 20th birthday. An employer had failed to fulfill a promise of employment, resulting in lost income and healthcare access. “Losing Hayley showed me how our system protects employers, not workers,” Sanchez reflected. Her own experiences with workplace exploitation, including misclassification as an independent contractor and issues of wage theft and harassment, have further fueled her commitment to reform.
As part of her campaign, Sanchez outlines several key initiatives aimed at revitalizing the Labor Commissioner’s office. These include:
– **Combating wage theft**: Sanchez plans to leverage investigation powers to expose violators and coordinate efforts with worker organizations and legal aid.
– **Investigating worker misclassification**: She will hold employers accountable for misclassifying employees as independent contractors to avoid providing benefits.
– **Enhancing unemployment insurance processing**: Sanchez aims to ensure timely and dignified access to benefits for Georgia workers.
– **Expanding language access**: Working to protect the rights of immigrant laborers—who constitute 27% of the construction workforce in Georgia—Sanchez will advocate for information and enforcement in multiple languages.
– **Building coalitions**: She intends to partner with worker centers, legal aid groups, and small businesses committed to fair competition.
– **Pushing for systemic legislative changes**: Sanchez is determined to advocate for an increase in the state minimum wage and stronger harassment protections.
“Georgia cannot wait for Washington,” Sanchez asserted. “Under the current federal administration, workers cannot depend on federal protection. Georgia needs to protect its own workers.” She expressed a sense of urgency, emphasizing that workers require a Commissioner who genuinely understands their struggles and is ready to fight on their behalf.
Sanchez draws inspiration from the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated while advocating for fair wages for sanitation workers. “Economic justice is justice,” she stated. “Labor rights are civil rights. That fight did not end in Memphis, and it’s not finished in Georgia.”
As her campaign unfolds, Sanchez emphasizes her commitment to ensuring fair pay, dignity, and legal protections for workers across the state. “For too long, this office has been silent while working families struggle,” she remarked. “I’m ready to make it work for the people.”
The voter registration deadline for the upcoming primary is set for April 20, 2024.
