City Labor Standards Board derailed

Despite months of research, hours of debate, and a 9-3 city council vote of approval, a new Minneapolis Labor Standards Board will not be established, at least not this year.
On Dec 5, the city council failed to override Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of the resolution they approved to create it.
“Today is a victory for small businesses and the economic future of Minneapolis,” a joint statement from the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, Downtown Council, Hospitality Minnesota, Minnesota Retailers Association, and the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association said after the veto was upheld.
The establishment of the board was supported by many unions, labor groups and other organizations, representing 1000s of workers and residents, including CTUL, Kids Count On Us, Unite Here! Local 17, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, TakeAction Minnesota, MFT 59 – the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa, New Justice Project MN, ISAIAH, Faith In Minnesota, SEIU Local 284, and LIUNA Minnesota & North Dakota.
It was not supported by 384 people, most who operate businesses, who wrote in a letter: “This Minneapolis Labor Standards Board was passed without allowing for public testimony, and through a process that ignored what little feedback was allowed to be given from businesses. It’s unfair and works against the businesses that keep our city moving. Plus, we believe this board is unfairly weighted against the voice of business while directly impacting how we operate every day, without taking into account how different businesses operate, even within the same sector.”
“Two years ago, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and the majority of city council members supported the creation of a Labor Standards Board, which would give workers a seat at the table to talk about the working conditions in their sectors,” the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees wrote in November. “Despite also having a seat at the board, the council and mayor have received major push back from businesses because they’re afraid of having to share the table with their workers.”
“Now is not the time to turn our back on workers, who soon will face an attack from the highest level of government,” said Ward 11 Council Member Emily Koski before she voted to override Frey’s veto. “I stand in solidarity with all those fighting for fair wages, fair working conditions and a better future for themselves and their families.”

VETO OVERRIDE FAILED BY ONE VOTE
The veto override failed by one vote, getting only 8 of the needed 9 votes. Council members Andrea Jenkins and Jamal Osman, who voted for the measure in November, joined with council members Linea Palmisano, LaTrisha Vetaw and Michael Rainville to uphold the veto.
“The conversation does not end here,” said Frey in a statement read by Ward 13 Council Member Linea Palmisano after the vote. “I believe we can bring a proposal together in January.”
Ward 6 Council Member Osman said that he voted to sustain the veto to pursue “a fair and balanced Labor Standards Board.” He said that he is “supporting a public comment for community members to come and let us know how you want to be reflected in this resolution” and “a Labor Standards Board that is fair and balanced and represents Ward 6 and my East African community.”
Osman and Ward 8 Council Member Andrea Jenkins had tried to postpone and amend the action in committee. After those efforts failed, Jenkins said “my thought at the time was that I would vote to support the ordinance and then work to improve it over time.” The mayor’s veto “presented an opportunity for us to work with constituents from the small business community, many of whom are women and people of color. What I’ve heard from folks is they do not feel they have had a voice in how the Labor Standards Board was drafted.”

PURPOSE OF BOARD
Council Members Aisha Chughtai, Aurin Chowdhury, and Katie Cashman authored the resolution.
According to the resolution they wrote, the purpose of the board was to “provide a forum for the city to engage with employers, workers, community stakeholders, and their representatives and to collaborate on matters related to workplace regulations and standards.”
If approved, it would have replaced the existing Workplace Advisory Committee, established in 2016, and advised city policymakers and staff on regulations related to workers’ rights and employment. It would have been comprised of 15 members, 12 appointed by the council and three by the mayor, with five members representing employees, five workers and five other community stakeholders.
The board could have convened work groups based on sector and geography, and made recommendations on standards related to wages, benefits, and other working conditions, as well as the training needed to educate workers and employers on new standards. Work groups would have presented findings and recommendations to the board for vote before being submitted to the city council for consideration.
“I’m disappointed by this Mayoral veto and my colleagues who flipped their votes,” said Ward 7 Council Member Katie Cashman. “The Labor Standards Board would have invited collaborative conversations with holistic representation from employers, employees, and community members who want to co-create recommendations towards improved, sector-specific workplace conditions. Studying and reporting on the working conditions of specific industries must be done with community representatives – they offer key insights as they also use or experience the services, products, and conditions that businesses create.”

DISAGREEMENT OVER WHO SHOULD BE ON BOARD
In his veto letter, Frey said that he could support a proposal with an even divide in membership between “employees and employers on the board, ensuring both sides are equally heard and represented.” He also said that he wanted to appoint half of the members and require them to have a two-thirds majority supporting any recommendations before being forwarded to the council.
“I have looked at what the mayor has proposed,” said Ward 12 Council Member Aurin Chowdhury, “and I want to state that giving 50% of the membership to employees and 50% to workers and giving a two-thirds majority to pass gives businesses veto power over everything.”
“This was an opportunity to bring people together, and we missed that opportunity,” added Chowdhury.
“I am super disappointed,” said Ward 6 Council Member Jason Chavez. The mayor’s proposal, he said, “puts corporations over people.”
“I am committed to supporting workers of all income levels, especially working-class people,” said Jenkins. “I am equally committed to working with the authors, stakeholders, unions, and the mayor to create an advisory board that reflects fair representation and creates a Labor Standards Board we all get behind.”

UNCLEAR WHAT’S NEXT
After the years long debate and effort, it is unclear if any council members other than Jenkins and Osman, or any of the organizations who supported or opposed the board, have the energy or interest in working with the mayor to redesign it.
With an election around the corner, some may prefer to wait until a new term begins to revisit the issue. In the meantime, the workplace advisory committee will likely continue to meet and function. Its members representing a cross-section of business and worker stakeholders, with the mayor appointing three and the city council appointing 13 of its members.