here
was an almost festive atmosphere in the City Council as two important
Bills were brought to a vote and passed. The Living Wage Bill passed
unanimously, and the Displaced Workers Bill passed 45 to 1.
The Living Wage Bill, which will affect tens of thousands of low-wage
earners such as the home care workers, day care workers, street
cleaners, and food service workers, "ensures that low-wage workers
employed by firms receiving certain service contracts from the City of
New York are paid a living wage and are provided health benefits."
The Displaced Workers Bill guarantees that when a new owner or a new
service company takes over a building, the workers in that building have
90 days before they can be terminated. A purchaser can no longer just
come in and fire all the employees immediately. The Bill also gives the
union the opportunity to negotiate with the new owner.
Until now, building service workers have faced sudden unemployment,
regardless of their work histories, when a building was sold or a
cleaning contract changed. In a residential building for instance, a
Super and his family could have lived there 20 years, but in one night
they could be told to pack their bags and leave.
Councilman
James Sanders, Prime sponsor of the Displaced Workers Bill, saluted
Union Local 32BJ, which was pivotal in the Bill's successful passage.
Affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), 32BJ
represents more than 70,000 building service workers - window cleaners,
doormen, maintenance workers, cleaners, porters and security officers -
employed throughout the tri-state area.
Sanders also congratulated Councilman Robert Jackson, Chair of the
Contracts Committee, and Speaker Gifford Miller who made sure this Bill
went through. "Because of their leadership, these building workers no
longer have to fear that any day they go into work may be their last,"
he stated.
The
prime sponsor of the Living Wage Bill, Deputy Majority Leader, Bill
Perkins, spoke as well. He talked about the fact that the first time he
submitted this Bill, two years ago under the former speaker, it was a
much smaller Bill and, as he put it, "It didn't even get the light of
day. But this Bill," he went on, "protects about twenty times more
low-wage workers, many of them women, many of them from the Caribbean.
So it's an extraordinary accomplishment for this City Council to go on
record recognizing their labor and also their value not simply as
workers, but as family members, and as consumers who contribute
importantly to the well being of our city."
Referring to about 2,700 people who are not included in the Bill as
they had hoped, Perkins said that they are not finished yet; they
haven't completed their task. "The giant corporations that slipped the
net - we're coming back with a bigger net and will catch them the next
time around," he said. "The workers that weren't able to be a part of
this Bill will be taken care of in the next one."
Commented Councilwoman Melinda Katz, "Though we understand that the
Living Wage Bill is not perfect, it is a step in the right direction. It
sends a very clear message that we're here to protect people."
Several Council Members pointed out as well that these two Bills
faced a lot of resistance from different groups and organizations; but
despite that, this new Council managed to make them into law. As
Councilwoman Christine Quinn stated, "Both of these did not pass in a
vacuum, but over tremendous opposition from some very powerful lobbying
influences in this city. It speaks well of my colleagues' commitment
that they passed."
By Donna Lamb
