Two New York City Council bills that were approved this week will place severe restrictions on employers in the fast-food industry.
The bills, which the Committee on Civil Service and Labor voted through 5-1 Tuesday, will prevent fast-food establishments from firing workers without ‘just cause.’ The bills also require new staff to be fired before longer-tenured employees if layoffs are necessary.
The bill’s sponsor, Councilman Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn), defended the legislation, which has 29 co-sponsors.
“It’s no surprise that industry lobbyists are insisting that corporations should be able to fire people at any time, without any reason,” Lander said in a statement obtained by the New York Post:
“Fast-food workers have been on the frontlines of this pandemic, serving their neighbors, working in tight quarters, taking on new responsibilities for sanitizing, and yet [are] unable to speak up about health and safety issues for fear of losing their jobs. We’re finally on the cusp of giving these essential but long-disrespected workers a modicum of job stability by passing ‘just cause’ legislation.
“We should all be able to agree that no one should be fired on a whim. But for years in the fast-food industry, that’s been the norm. Fast-food workers, the majority of whom are women of color, have fought hard to raise wages and demand workplace protections. We owe it to them to end unfair firings that cause constant stress and uncertainty in their lives.”
Government telling private businesses what they can and cannot do in the midst of a government-mandated shutdown.
In related news…
Forbes: “Mayor Bill De Blasio Plans 22,000 Layoffs, As People Flee New York City In Droves”
Politico: “De Blasio: Threat of 22,000 layoffs is ‘painfully real'”
Fox Business: “New York City layoffs loom as de Blasio’s deadline draws near”
WIBC host Tony Katz noted the insanity of the New York City-County Council’s bill Wednesday, warning that such legislation could come to the city of Indianapolis.
Katz:
“I put forth to you that it is very obvious and very clear that the Indianapolis City-County Council hates the city – they hate the business owners in the city. I don’t want it to be this way, but it is very obvious that it is this way.
“The attacks, the vitriol, the greater interest in painting slogans on the street than rebuilding the city.
“And then there are others who worry when they see plywood going up and scream that business owners are hurting the city. No, the city has done nothing to support these businesses. And these businesses will have a much more challenging way forward when they realize that people aren’t coming back to office buildings.”
Click the link below to hear Tony’s full commentary.
https://omny.fm/shows/tony-katz-and-the-morning-news/new-york-says-businesses-cant-have-layoffs
