Ahead of Labor Day weekend, the Democratic nominee for attorney general revealed a new labor-focused plank of her platform.
Greta Kemp Martin announced on Thursday that, if elected, she will create a fair labor division within the attorney general's office. Martin says her experience as a trial lawyer and litigation director for Disability Rights Mississippi makes her qualified to take up labor-focused litigation.
Will Stribling
AG hopeful Greta Kemp Martin announces labor-focused plans for office
"To some people, making money is more important than taking care of the people who make that possible," Martin said. "Not every employer fits this mold, but it certainly seems to be the case for our governor, Attorney General and the majority of our lawmakers."
Martin said the division would investigate and litigate wage violations and other labor issues like dangerous working conditions. She cited the case of Devan Perez, a 16-year-old who died in a workplace accident at a Hattiesburg poultry plant in July, as an example of problematic child labor practices in Mississippi.
Martin also criticized the equal pay law passed by the legislature last year, which offers fewer protections than the federal Equal Pay Act. She points to disparities in how women are paid compared to men, despite making up nearly half of the state's workforce.
"Women make up about 49% of Mississippi's workforce but are almost three times more likely than men to be in a lower wage job. … At the same time, more than half of all mothers in Mississippi are the primary or sole breadwinner for their home. This math simply does not add up for families in Mississippi," Kemp Martin said.
Martin's fair labor division would also include a legislative advisory council, which would propose labor-related legislation.
Michelle Williams, a campaign spokesperson for incumbent Attorney General Lynn Fitch, told The Associated Press that Fitch does not support the creation of a fair labor division.
“The people of Mississippi don’t need a new government division to work with Biden regulators to sue Mississippi businesses,” Williams said, touting the campaign’s endorsement from the National Federation of Independent Business. “General Fitch knows that the way to help Mississippi workers is to support businesses, job growth, and workforce development.”
Kemp Martin will face off against Fitch in November's general election.