Passing progressive labor legislation is something Seattle has proven good at. The city’s new minimum-wage law, along with its mandatory paid sick-leave ordinance, prove this.

But, as we’ve previously noted, enforcing these laws may prove more difficult. It’s a fact Mayor Ed Murray acknowledged as recently as Monday, when he announced plans to create an Office of Labor Standards to help city employers and employees better understand and comply with the city’s new laws. Part of the new office’s job, according to Murray’s office, will be “to investigate and pursue administrative enforcement actions when wage-theft complaints … with the aim of restoring any back wages and benefits they earned but were unpaid.”

Still, workers (and the unions that represent them) aim to keep the pressure on the city to follow through on the labor-friendly laws they’ve touted and passed with much fanfare. Which is why Friday, according to a press release from UFCW 21, an event at City Hall will try to shine a light on the need for clearer enforcement strategies and increased funding to make sure it happens. As the press release puts it: “If corporations like Amazon, Seattle Mariners, Walmart and fast food chains are allowed to violate these laws, enforcement rules must be changed otherwise there would be little if any consequence to these violators.”

Tom Geiger, UFCW 21’s communications director, is quick to point out that his union supports Murray’s latest labor standards proposal. That said, Geiger insists more needs to be done – and more money needs to be allocated. “The mayor’s proposal is a good step,” says Geiger, “but funding is going to be important.”

“Without effective enforcement, these laws are not achieving what they’re supposed to achieve,” he continues. “The fear is that if that lack of enforcement bleeds into next spring [and the start of Seattle’s new minimum wage law]… there’s not going to be the potential gains in wages that there’s supposed to be. Without enforcement, the laws aren’t worth it.”

Geiger says a “couple dozen” rallying workers are expected at City Hall Friday, and, among other demands, they’ll be asking for harsher penalties for employers who break the law.

“In many ways, if an employer violates a labor law and they get caught all they’re required to do is pay what they should have paid in the first place,” Geiger says. “That’s part of the idea with the enforcement, is working to make sure there’s some incentive to comply [for employers], as well as a system that will allow victims to have a place to go to raise their concerns.”

The event, which starts at noon, is part of a national effort being called “Low Wage Economy Exposed.” According to the release, “Local workers will tell their stories on how important it is to have these labor laws properly enforced. Others will hand out mock ‘get out of jail free’ cards to corporations who can break the new laws without consequence.”