You might remember the White House Summit on Worker Voice earlier this month, when President Obama invited some human props to the White House to tell their stories of skipping meals, going homeless, working multiple jobs and earning only $8 an hour after 20 years in the fast food business.
While the #FightFor15 movement for a $15 minimum wage is the most visible of union demands, the president also spelled out the need for flexible hours. “If you work hard in America, you should be able to take care of those you love, which means having sick leave and parental leave and affordable child care, and predictable schedules that give your family some stability,” said President Obama.
While it was Baltimore City Hall that was occupied by protesters last night, today Minneapolis City Hall is being shut down by #MPLSWorks, a group that is demanding that the city “raise standards for working families by ensuring earned sick and safe time and a fair workweek, putting an end to wage theft, and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.”
https://twitter.com/mnnoc/status/654736685486333952
Workers in Minneapolis won't back down from #FairScheduling. Stay strong with #MPLSWorks pic.twitter.com/sCc1HgpfWA
— Jess Alexander (@JessAlexanderMN) October 15, 2015
https://twitter.com/mnnoc/status/654741627148173312
The Star-Tribune reports that protesters are angered that Mayor Betsy Hodges announced that she would back off her push for predictable scheduling regulations in the face of backlash from businesses:
Their proposal would have required employers to provide employees with schedules weeks in advance and provide one hour of “predictability pay” each time they adjusted a worker’s schedule. Employers would have also paid for at least four hours’ work if a shift was canceled or changed with less than 24 hours’ notice. Thousands of Minneapolis businesses would have been affected.
Workers’ groups said the proposals would provide stability for low-wage and hourly workers. They argued that regulations ensuring predictable scheduling, along with those mandating paid sick leave, would help erase racial and economic inequality in Minneapolis.
I am deeply disappointed in the decision by @mayorhodges to abandon #fairscheduling as a cornerstone of the #mplsworks agenda. @mnnoc
— Doran Schrantz (@DSchrantz) October 15, 2015
Being a champion for "racial equity" means standing with those who are most impacted in the face of intractable opposition @mnnoc #mplsworks
— Doran Schrantz (@DSchrantz) October 15, 2015
Workers pack City Hall to demand paid sick, fair schedules, $15. We Must address racial inequity. #MplsWorks pic.twitter.com/Z6L5Bkcugz
— Ruth Schultz (@ruthjschultz) October 15, 2015
https://twitter.com/swirlspice/status/654754203789688832
https://twitter.com/micamaryjane/status/654746235300020224
If workers in Minneapolis don't get #FairScheduling, then we have been silenced by big business. #MPLSWorks pic.twitter.com/7cTBvxhmn9
— Jess Alexander (@JessAlexanderMN) October 15, 2015
.@nvlevy on point. Tale of two cities: Best of times if you're white, worst of times if you're black #MplsWorks pic.twitter.com/eNDbgspPNx
— Ruth Schultz (@ruthjschultz) October 15, 2015
Pr. Danny Glover: Pharaoh's not the only one who needs to let our people go; white supremacy needs to let our people go. #mplsworks
— Amity Foster (@amityf) October 15, 2015
Is it just us, or does anyone else detect a hint of irony in this next tweet?
We mobilized 350 people on 24 hours notice to support fair scheduling and #MplsWorks. If things don't change, this is just the beginning.
— tony the scribe. (@tony_the_scribe) October 15, 2015
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