Mayor de Blasio is often trying to stay one-step ahead of lawmakers and governor in Albany. On Tuesday, that step for the mayor was signing legislation to regulate the fast-food industry. Our Courtney Gross reports from City Hall about what could be turning into the latest feud between the mayor and the governor.
Pierre Metivier works in the fast-food industry. He lives in a city homeless shelter, barely able to get by.
"Sometimes I get two days a week," Metivier said. "Sometimes I get three days a week, or sometimes I look at the schedule and I am not even on the schedule. I have to decide on paying my phone bill or getting a weekly MetroCard."
On Tuesday, he was at City Hall, standing next to the mayor to help shepherd in new regulations for his industry.
"It's called Fair Work Week legislation," the mayor said. "It will require fast food restaurants to provide workers with their schedules two weeks ahead of time. It would ban employers from forcing fast food workers to close stores then open them early the next morning. It also eliminates on call schedules for certain retail employers."
"It's just about whether we are going to respect working people or not," the mayor added.
The mayor signed all these bills on Tuesday.
"And with that I think it's time to sign these bills."
But with the stroke of that pen, there is already fear these proposals could be obsolete.
"We will not allow any force in Albany to weaken the protections of working people in this city," said Public Advocate Letitia James.
"There is some pieces missing that are included in the five legislative package," said Hector Figueroa, head of service employees union 32BJ SEIU. "So we are engaging and encouraging the governor."
Governor Cuomo's administration plans to release regulations on the very same issue sometime soon. Unions and advocates fear the governor's proposal will not go as far as the city is — thus undermining the mayor.
Now the timing and details of the governor's proposal are still a bit unclear. The regulations are in draft form and the governor's office would not provide us a copy of that draft.
The governor's spokesman did send us a statement saying in part: "They've been coordinating with stakeholders and regulations will be comprehensive and tailored to address the problems associated with on-call scheduling across New York and will be available for public comment shortly."