FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM FEBRUARY 20, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 19
‘All workers should have this protection’
City Council committee debates just cause labor laws
BY GRANT LANCASTER
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
New York City Council members
debated the merits of two pieces of legislation
on Th ursday, Feb. 13, that are
intended to off er fast food workers more
rights.
Th e fi rst, Introduction 1396 sponsored
by Councilwoman Adrienne Adams,
would require that employers lay off their
newest workers fi rst when layoff s are necessary,
with the intention of protecting
veteran employees.
Adams thinks that these new conditions
would give employees more job
security and dignity, preventing them
from being laid off without justifi cation,
she said.
“We must continue to bring accountability
to fast food giants and ensure
security for their employees,” Adams
said. Th e second legislation, Introduction
1415 sponsored by Council Member Brad
Lander, would prevent fast food employers
from fi ring their workers without a
just cause, generally outlined as economic
damage to the employer. Th e legislation
also outlines any reduction in hours by 15
percent or more a week as akin to fi ring.
Lander thinks that in addition to off ering
more respect to workers, the legislation
gives them more security to stand
up for other treatment issues, such as
abuse, misconduct or sexual harassment,
because it takes away the fear of being
fi red in retaliation, he said.
“I think all workers should have this
protection, but fast food workers are a
good place to start,” Lander said.
Lander thinks that the Council members
will vote on the legislation in the
next few months, aft er thoroughly considering
the concerns of citizens and
other Council members, he said.
Before moving forward on the legislation,
members of the Committee on
Civil Service and Labor heard from other
Council Members and several panels
made up of Chamber of Commerce offi -
cials, restaurant business offi cials and fast
food employees.
Councilman Eric Ulrich spoke against
the legislation because he thinks the
restrictions on employers will make it
harder for them to hire and keep good
workers, he said.
Because of the concerns owners of
McDonald’s and Chipotle restaurants in
his district shared with Ulrich before the
hearing, he wants to make sure the legislation
is carefully considered, he said.
Loralei Salas, commissioner of NYC
Department of Consumer and Worker
Protection, spoke in favor of the legislation,
but she is concerned that her
department does not have the resources
to enforce the new laws, she said.
“We want to make sure these protections
are real for workers, and that will
require additional resources,” Salas said.
Th ese laws would not aff ect small businesses,
a concern shared by some opposing
the legislation, with the restrictions
applying only to chain restaurants with
more than 30 locations, Salas said.
Jessica Walker, president and CEO of
the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce,
and Kathleen Riley, coordinator of NYC
Government Aff airs for the New York
State Restaurant Association, both spoke
against the legislation because they think
it will negatively aff ect the hiring process
at fast food restaurants.
Riley thinks that the new laws will
force restaurant owners to be more specifi
c about their hiring decisions for fear
of facing legal consequences if they feel
the need to fi re an underperforming
employee, and that will result in less hires
or more strenuous interview processes
for potential employees, she said.
“Employers will take fewer chances,”
Walker said.
Riley also thinks that the legislation’s
stipulation that a 15 percent reduction in
hours was akin to fi ring an employee was
not realistic, she said. In a 40-hour work
week, 15 percent would be six hours,
which could amount to less than one
shift a week for many workers, she said.
Before the council hearing, members
of the 32BJ SEIU worker’s union and
Council Members spoke at a rally supporting
the legislation on the steps of
City Hall.
Jeremy Espinal, who worked at a New
York City Chipotle for two years and had
his hours cut while his manager hired
new employees in the meantime, thinks
that the legislation would force employers
to treat employees better, he said.
“Chipotle treats me and my coworkers
as something disposable, and it feels
like they do not care about us as people,”
Espinal said.
Council Member Francisco Moya
thinks that the ‘just cause’ legislation is
the next victory for New York workers,
following minimum wage laws and fair
workweek laws, he said.
“Th e jobs that are out there for New
Yorkers are being threatened by corporations
that don’t care, corporations that
are making billions of dollars from us,
but treat their workers like crap.” Moya
said. “Th ose days are over, and it stops
today.”
“We want to make sure these protections
are real for workers, and that will require
additional resources.”
Loralei Salas
Commissioner of NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
Photo by Grant Lancaster
Council Member Francisco Moya speaks Feb. 13 in favor of legislation intended to make it illegal for fast food employers to fi re their employees without just cause.
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