The Cook County Board stiffened the enforcement provisions on its living wage ordinance this month in the hope of improving worker rights.

The ordinance affects all county contractors or subcontractors, or anyone who receives a property tax incentive from the county. The new rules force them to inform their employees of the rate and any future increases in it.

The amendment also says that organizations receiving property tax incentives that fail to comply will lose eligibility for those incentives for two years.

The ordinance sets a minimum wage of $9.43 an hour, with provisions for increases.

Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado, who sponsored the amendment, said the main reason for the provisions is so the ordinance will be enforceable.

"We became aware of the unenforceability [of the ordinance] because we became aware of a company that was basically violating the ordinance," he said.

The company had applied for a 20-year property tax exemption that would have amounted to more than $1 million.

Upon applying, they moved from Chicago to the suburbs, firing employees who had been with them 15-plus years, and hiring cheaper day labor.

"It was a slap in the face to the workers who helped build the company," Maldonado said.

"Based on the existing language of the ordinance, we couldn't help them. There were no provisions to hold [the company] accountable and sanction them," he said.

Under the new rules the county's Commission on Human Rights is charged with investigating violations.

"It would be pretty easy to investigate it," commission director Jennifer Vidis said during last week's meeting.

"We'd find out what they were getting paid. We'd find out what the vendor had certified. And whatever the results are of our investigation we'd turn over to the [Cook County] CFO and the purchasing agent, and it's for them to act."

"I don't think there have been many complaints filed under the existing law," Vidis responded, "but that's also because I'm not sure how adequate the notice has been to employees."

Maldonado said he is not aware of any other reported violations under the original ordinance, but hopes the amendment will generate more.