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Oakland County approves worker verification system
July 30, 2009
By JOHN WISELY
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Companies providing services to Oakland County government will have to use a federal system to insure their employees are legally entitled to work in the United States.
The Oakland County Commission this morning approved a new policy requiring service vendors to use the federal E-Verify program, to avoid hiring illegal workers.
The system compares information provided by the employee with federal databases of Social Security numbers and other records to verify that they are eligible to work in the United States.
The policy takes effect Oct. 1 and the county administration must draft rules to implement the policy before then.
“There is incredible public support for this,” said Commissioner Jim Runestad, R-Waterford, who has been working on the resolution since March.
Some commissioners were initially wary of the resolution, but Runestad and others worked to convince them. The resolution passed unanimously, with two commissioners, Kim Capello, R-Novi and Eric Coleman, D-Southfield, absent.
The resolution was amended to include only services provided to the county. Runestad said it could have complicated county purchasing too much if it applied to goods.
“If GM, Ford and Chrysler didn’t take part, who would you buy a police vehicle from?” Runestad said.
Deputy County Executive Gerald Poisson said his boss, L. Brooks Patterson, supports the policy.
Commission Chairman Bill Bullard, R-Highland, said he didn’t think many county vendors hired illegal workers, but supported the measure to insure they didn’t.
“I think this is a good way for us to have some sense of security that the companies we hire are doing their best to follow the law,” said Commissioner Tim Burns, D-Troy.
Runestad added that it appears the federal government will adopt the policy as well, which would likely prompt most major companies to use it. If that happens, Runestad expects to revisit the proposal to extend it to purchased goods.
Contact JOHN WISELY: 313-222-6825 or jwisely@freepress.com
Edited by Ron Recinto and Mark W. Smith.
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