CWA Calls on NY City Council to Pass Just Cause Rights for Essential Workers

We're calling on the New York City Council to pass the proposed “Just Cause Rights” Legislation to protect essential workers against unjust termination and safeguard whistleblowers who call out dangerous and hazardous working conditions during COVID-19.

Whether in healthcare, food delivery or grocery stores and pharmacies, essential workers are risking their lives every day at work throughout the COVID-19 crisis. For these New Yorkers, doing their jobs has become a matter of life and death. They deserve adequate health protections, including personal protective equipment (PPE), so they can keep themselves, their families and their communities safe.

But some companies have chosen to skirt good safety practices in order to turn a profit.

Workers forced into unsafe - and potentially deadly - working conditions have every right to demand the proper protection, yet many are afraid to do so for fear of retaliation, which often leads to termination. We need legislation now to stop employers from retaliating against workers. We must create an environment where all workers are protected when they raise safety issues that impact their health!

"Our essential workers  put their lives on the line each and every day. Those who do not have the luxury of working from home deserve fair pay and the strongest health and safety protections possible. We need this package of legislation to ensure justice for those New Yorkers who are risking their health and well-being to keep our city moving. I applaud City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Councilmember Brad Lander, Councilmember Laurie Cumbo and Councilmember Kallos for leading this fight and urge the City Council to approve this bill."

--Dennis Trainor, Vice President CWA District 1

“I fully support the City Council’s bill to guarantee workers just cause protections during a global pandemic. This is more important than ever before. As this pandemic shows us, we are only as safe as those least protected among us. I am fortunate to have Just Cause at my AT&T store because I have a union. Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile workers deserve just cause now more than ever. No one should ever be treated as disposable, but especially our essential workers on the front lines who must be on the job every day despite the danger to themselves and their families.”

--Derrick McCrimmon, CWA Local 1101 member and AT&T retail worker

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