Latest news with #WholesaleandDepartmentStoreUnion
Fashion United
04-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
What to know about New York's Retail Worker Safety Act
New York's Retail Worker Safety Act (RWSA) has officially been mandated after experiencing slight delays in its enactment. The act (S. 8358B/A. 8947C) was signed into law by local governor Kathy Hochul last year, to address increased levels of violence seen among retail stores. From June 2, any store with 10 or more employees that 'sells consumer commodities at retail and which is not primarily engaged in the sale of food for consumption on the premises' will be required to adopt and implement a violence prevention policy, train employees on de-escalation tactics and inform employees of emergency procedures for situations like active shooters. The New York State Department of Labor has been tasked with developing a model risk assessment and training programme focused on de-escalation tactics and active shooter training. This is to be issued in English, as well as 12 commonly spoken languages. Employers to provide standardised de-escalation and violence prevention training This reflects an amendment made to the bill, which was initially slated to be mandated in March, however, was pushed back to reconsider the adoption of a violence prevention policy that was to be distributed to staff. Employers with less than 50 employees will now need to provide training on such matters at the time of hire and every two years following, instead of annually, as previously stated in the law. Requirements will then expand by January 1, 2027, to require New York retailers with more than 500 employees to implement silent panic buttons that alert on-site management or security officers in place of law enforcement. Employers can only install the buttons on employer-provided equipment, and must not use the technology to track employee whereabouts unless in an emergency. The RWSA was spearheaded by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSO), the president of which, Stuart Appelbaum, said retail workers across New York 'will be safer because of this law'. His statement to FashionUnited continued: 'Retail workers should not have to go to work every day in fear; and this law goes a long way towards ending that. The Retail Worker Safety Act provides for preventative measures that will help deter violence and harassment before it starts; and most importantly, will assist workers in getting help quickly in the event of an emergency.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Andrew Cuomo proposes $20 minimum wage for NYC
The Brief Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will raise New York City's minimum wage if elected as mayor. Cuomo proposes to raise the wage to $20 per hour. He was endorsed by several labor unions at the campaign rally where he made the announcement. NEW YORK CITY - New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo is proposing a $20 per hour minimum wage by 2027. What we know Cuomo announced at a campaign rally that he will propose to raise the New York City minimum wage to $20 per hour if elected. "New York City is unaffordable for working men and women," he said at the rally. He referenced how 500,000 people have left New York City over the past five years. "They can't afford to live here, and that's wrong." Though he expressed other plans to combat the affordability issue in the city, his main talking point was raising the minimum wage. In response to potential naysayers, such as financial advisors or economic experts who might claim raising the minimum wage "would slow the economy," Cuomo had one thing to say: "Bologna." The backstory Cuomo initially raised New York state's minimum wage to $15 per hour for most workers while serving as New York Governor in April 2016. "We did it before and we're going to do it again." This move made New York's minimum wage the highest in the U.S. Cuomo notes that the economy "went up" after the wage was raised. What we know A $20 per hour minimum wage was not the only topic of discussion at the rally. Cuomo also highlighted the lack of affordable housing. "New York City is in trouble. You can feel it in the anxiety, the frustration." New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo "A lot of people talk about affordable housing, but we're not talkers, we're doers. We get the job done." His plan is to build 500,000 affordable housing units over the course of the next decade. But Cuomo pointed out that working families "need more than just housing." "We need to provide free early childcare, we need to lower taxes, we need to get them transportation cost assistance," he added. Cuomo's entire affordability plan can be read here: Click to open this PDF in a new window. The mayoral candidate stated that President Trump's recently passed "big, beautiful bill" includes cuts to Medicaid and the food stamp program, SNAP. "We, in this city, have to protect working men and women, because [Trump] is not going to do it." Cuomo's campaign has recently made it a point to focus its messaging on how Trump "doesn't want Andrew Cuomo as mayor," releasing a political ad in response. Representatives from a chapter of the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union, UFCW 1500, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) attended the rally to announce their endorsement of Cuomo. "I am honored to receive these endorsements," Cuomo said. "We don't have union in the house, we have a movement in the house." FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay, who attended the event, reported that Cuomo left the press event without taking questions from reporters. He also ran a red light during his exit. The Source This article includes reporting from New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo's campaign press releases and a study conducted by the Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics.
