Fast food workers urge New York City Council to vote Yes on package of bills supporting a fair work week and better jobs

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PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING MY WORK

NEW YORK— Cashiers, cooks and delivery people welcomed the news that the New York City Council will vote on May 24, 2017; on vital legislation that will improve the schedules and lives of workers across New York City. The NYC council will vote on a package of scheduling bills for a fair work week for fast-food and retail workers as well as a bill that will enable fast-food workers to have a united voice on the job and in their communities. 

The fast-food workers and their allies rally at 12:30 pm on Wednesday at City Hall to call on the Council to vote yes on the bills.

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“With the Trump Administration working to undermine the progress we’ve made on workers’ rights and setting an anti-worker agenda, it’s instrumental that we continue to protect all working New Yorkers. I’m proud to stand with the New York City Council as we New York City fast-food and retail workers achieve a fair work week,” said Council Member Brad Lander, the Council’s Deputy Leader of Policy. “This package will help ensure fairer schedules, will give fast-food workers a pathway to full-time hours, and will create an innovative new model for fast-food workers to advocate for their rights.”

As the Trump Administration and Republicans in Washington are pushing legislation and regulation that is disastrous for working people, workers are calling on the City Council to take the lead in standing up for working families by passing these bills.

The Fair Work Week scheduling legislation includes three bills covering the fast-food industry. The first would require fast-food employers to give workers two weeks’ advance notice on their schedules or pay them a penalty for changes to their schedules with less than two weeks’ notice. The second requires employers to offer shifts in the store that become available to existing part-time workers before hiring new workers to fill them. The last discourages the practice of "clopenings"—when a worker has to close and then open their store without enough time to rest in between shifts. Under the Council’s bill, employers have to pay a penalty fee to workers if they are scheduled for back-to-back shifts with less than 11 hours in between. 

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Another bill would ban on-call scheduling in the retail industry, which disrupts workers lives by requiring them to be available to work certain hours even if they are not scheduled to work and won’t get paid. 

The Council will also vote on the Fast Food Worker Empowerment Act on Wednesday. This first-of-its-kind legislation in the country would enable fast food workers to set up a nonprofit organization to advocate for themselves and their families and improve their communities and fund it with contributions from their paychecks. The bill will help fast-food workers create a strong organization that will educate workers about their rights on the job and help them push for the changes they need in their communities.

Hundreds of workers have been advocating for these bills with City Council members since they were introduced in December. Over 3000 fast-food workers and their allies signed a petition in support of the four pieces of fast-food legislation:http://www.seiu32bj.org/press-releases/fast-food-workers-sign-petition-fair-work-week-good-jobs/] 

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“The city council can be at the vanguard of promoting workers’ rights and protecting vulnerable communities by passing these bills. Getting a fair work week for tens-of-thousands of minimum wage workers in New York City and ensuring fast-food workers can speak with a united voice on workplace and community issues will strengthen our city and help workers win dignity on the job, ” said 32BJ President Hector Figueroa, whose union has supported fast-food workers since their first strike. “The union movement and progressive community have stood with fast-food workers in the fight for $15. We're proud to keep standing with them as they stand up for good jobs, stronger communities and respect.”

All of the bills have a majority of council members signed on as co-sponsors.

“RWDSU is committed to raising job standards across industries and occupations. On-call scheduling is a pervasive and exploitive employment practice where workers do not find out until just before a scheduled shift if they will be required to work or not. Today's passage of Intro 1387 by the New York City Council and the Speaker is a critical step in helping workers gain more control over their own lives and their ability to earn a living. When Mayor de Blasio signs the bill into law it will set a national precedent that will help retail workers not just survive in this country but thrive,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Party.

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“CWA District 1 is proud to stand with New York City fast-food workers who are fighting for better jobs. They need fair schedules so they can plan their lives, take care of their kids and make ends meet. They also want to have a united voice to ensure workers in the industry know their rights on the job and can advocate for the issues that are important to them in their communities. This is good for workers and good for our city,”said Dennis Trainor, Vice President, Communications Workers of America, District 1.

“New York City can take a stand for workers by passing this vital legislation so individuals in the fast-food industry may improve their schedules, support their families, and strengthen their communities," said Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland. "As the federal government and Republicans in Washington try to chip away at the rights of working people, we must resist these attacks at the local level and support our workforce.” 

"This package of legislation is about fairness, respect for people’s time, and restoring some balance into the employer-employee relationship," said Council Member Corey Johnson. "These bills will directly improve the quality of life of workers throughout the city and I’m proud to play a role in their passage. At a time when labor rights are under attack across the country, it’s more important than ever that New York lead the way in setting new standards for valuing workers."

The Fight for $15 started in New York City in 2012, when 200 brave fast-food workers walked off their jobs, demanding $15 and the right to form a union without retaliation. The movement has spread around the world. Once considered a long shot, workers have won $15 in California and New York State, in cities like Washington, D.C. and Seattle, and in companies and industries all around the nation.

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