Fast Food workers says employers fire them for no reason at all or arbitrary ones, turning their lives upside down

NEW YORK— Fast food workers are coming to the New York City Council today to urge council members to approve two proposed bills to give them “Just Cause” protection from arbitrary reduction in work hours and unfair job termination. Thousands of New York families live in constant uncertainty and, under the current system, the power imbalance puts the burden of proof on the individual worker, rather than corporations and fast food giants.

Many of these workers count on every single paycheck to support themselves and their families, and a sudden loss of an income could mean the difference between having a stable address and being homeless.

WHO:                   32BJ SEIU President Kyle Bragg; Fast Food Workers like Jahaira Garcia,

Jeremy Espinal and Princess Wright; former fast food workers like Melody

Walker and Hope Gozo; Council Members Brad Lander and Adrienne Adams,

and community activists.

WHAT:                 Press Conference and a City Council hearing on bills to provide ‘Just Cause’

protection for Fast Food Workers.

• Prohibit employers from firing an employee for any reason other than the employee’s failure to perform job duties or misconduct in the workplace that harms the employer’s legitimate business interests, or based on a bona fide economic reason.
• Consider a reduction in hours of 15% equivalent to a termination, to ensure employers cannot skirt the new standard by forcing people to quit.

WHEN:               12 noon on Thursday, February 13, 2020

WHERE:              New York City Hall Steps, in front of City Hall Park between Broadway and Park

Row, in lower Manhattan

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With 175,000 members in 11 states, including 85,000 in New York, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country