MINNEAPOLIS– Proponents of a proposal that would establish predictable schedules for working families in Minneapolis sent a clear message to City Hall today, delivering thousands of petitions to members of the City Council from working families and allies throughout the city. The petitions, signed by residents from every ward in the city, declare support for fair scheduling practices and urge the Council to adopt a proposed ordinance that would create a minimum scheduling standard for Minneapolis businesses.
Local workers and advocates from Working America delivered more than 6,100 petitions to City Council members at their City Hall offices. The petition asks signers to affirm their support for a citywide scheduling policy in Minneapolis that provides employees with adequate notice of schedule changes, maintains a consistent and agreed-upon number of hours per week for workers and offers working people full-time opportunities and access to paid leave. The Council will hold a public hearing on the subject of fair scheduling and other components of their Working Families Agenda on Wednesday.
“Stable 9-to-5 jobs are on the endangered list. I’m seeing more of my peers taking erratic jobs that put your life on hold and kill your ability to balance work and family,” said Lennox T., a Working America member and former hourly retail worker. “Thousands of hourly workers are jerked around by current scheduling practices, and it’s time for Minneapolis and the City Council to step up and modernize our workplace policies so workers can gain a foothold.”
“Our city’s failure to establish fair scheduling standards is costing workers, families, businesses, public health and our local economy. Today’s petition delivery illustrates that there’s an appetite and urgency in Minneapolis for our City Council to establish basic guidelines for how local businesses should schedule their employees,” said Working America-Minnesota Director David Wehde. “Many workplace protections covered by our current statutes are rapidly becoming outdated and insufficient, exposing everyday working people to a greater share of the risks posed by our ‘just-in-time’ economy.
“Expanding protections for working families will make Minneapolis a better city to live and do business in,” added Wehde.
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Working America is the fastest-growing organization for working people who don’t have the benefit of a union on the job. Working America has over 259,000 active members in Minnesota. For more information, visit www.WorkingAmerica.org.
Minneapolis Works is the worker-led coalition of community, labor and faith groups fighting to improve economic and racial equity in Minneapolis. For more information, visit www.MPLSWorks.org.
CONTACT: Michael J. Brewer
202-639-6287
[email protected]