Dem AG candidate accuses DeWine of under-serving working families

By David Skolnick

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

David Pepper, a Democrat running for attorney general, said the office he is seeking can do so much more than it is under incumbent Republican Mike DeWine to help working families, which will help the state’s economy.

Pepper said if elected, he would have the office’s labor section enforce wage theft and worker mis-classification.

“Workers who are truly employees but are labeled as independent contractors lose out on overtime, health benefits, unemployment compensation and workers’ compensation,” he said. “Allowing employers to mis-classify workers hurts the state’s economy.”

Studies have shown as much as 30 percent of employers mis-classify workers.

When Democrat Richard Cordray was attorney general, he commissioned a report, released in February 2009, stating the misclassification problem costs the state “hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues annually to state and local government.” DeWine defeated Cordray in the 2010 election.

Pepper also said he would fight for pay equity, against workplace discrimination, have state universities do a better job creating employment opportunities for research work for Ohioans, and ramp up efforts to stop cybercrimes, predatory consumer practices and other scams.

“I want to use the office to be more strategic in creating new jobs,” he said.

Pepper accused DeWine of stopping efforts by Cordray to “aggressively pursue clear violations of wages and labor laws” through the labor section.

DeWine said, “I don’t even know what he’s talking about.”

In response to Pepper’s remarks regarding the protection of working families, DeWine said, “I work every day for working families. Our job is to protect a family.”

He added that the testing of thousands of rape kits that his office is undertaking that will solve many old rape cases would not have happened if not for his efforts.

Contributor: Ed Runyan