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Minneapolis City Council to vote on establishing Labor Standards Board

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Published  November 13, 2024 9:33pm CST
Business
FOX 9

Minneapolis council to vote on Labor Standards Board

The Minneapolis City Council will vote on a controversial measure on Thursday that has drawn ire from the business community. The proposal, which would create a Labor Standards Board, would task a 15-member panel with making recommendations to the city council and mayor about wages, benefits, working conditions and other regulations.

The Brief

    • Minneapolis City Council leaders are proposing the creation of a Labor Standards Board.
    • Some business owners are afraid it would create costly hurdles.
    • Minneapolis Mayor Frey has voiced his opposition to the proposal.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minneapolis City Council will vote on a controversial measure on Thursday that has drawn ire from the business community.

The proposal, which would create a Labor Standards Board, would task a 15-member panel with making recommendations to the city council and mayor about wages, benefits, working conditions and other regulations.

What we know

The appointed panel would consist of representatives for employees, businesses and workplace experts. It would cost taxpayers $150,000 per year, which would pay for the salary of a coordinator.

While supporters said the effort would give workers a voice, business owners feared it would create costly hurdles.

"We really don’t know what to expect," said David Benowitz, president of Craft and Crew Hospitality, which owns two restaurants in Minneapolis. "I fear that the little profits we do make in Minneapolis aren’t going to be there anymore, and we may have to reconsider how we’re operating."

Other business owners echoed a similar sentiment at a news conference on Tuesday.

"The city council simply is not listening," said Jared Brewington.

But supporters said the proposal would involve several stakeholders.

What city leaders are saying

"It’s more of a democratic process than it is a top-down mandate," said Ward 7 Council Member Katie Cashman, one of the measure’s three co-sponsors. "I get it. That industry has very slim margins. It is a really tough industry to be in. They have struggled so much from the pandemic and are still trying to come back…."

The proposal is co-sponsored by Council Members Aisha Chughtai, Aurin Chowdhury and Katie Cashman.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mayor Jacob Frey’s office said: "The mayor has long supported a Labor Standards Board that is balanced, but the council’s proposal is not. This lack of balance has led the business community to pull out and not participate. This doesn’t work. The mayor’s position is simple: get participation from both business and labor and pass a balanced board that can benefit good governance."