HARTFORD, Conn. — Labor and Public Employees Committee Co-Chairs Sen. Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) and state Representative Robyn Porter (D- New Haven) shared several employee friendly bills this session.
The bills include the effort to expand worker compensation benefits to EMTs, Corrections Department employees, and dispatchers; a fair work week; protections for domestic workers; notice of closure for call centers; and workplace protections for transportation network drivers like Uber and Lyft.
“I would work 12 hours or more with no breaks.I wouldn’t be able to see my family no days off, I would always have to be on duty,” Gisselle Chavez said.
She is one of many who showed up to speak at the public hearing in favor of the fair workweek bill.
“These are workers that work at large chains like Chili’s, TGI FRIDAYS, Target , Walmart, Hilton Best western hotels that sort of thing,” Carlos Moreno with CT working families organization said.
The bill would require employers to give employees a two week in advance schedule and would have to pay if a shift is cancelled or shortened during that time frame.
“The financial effect of this is very destabilizing for families who find it really hard to deal with erratic work schedules that change from week to week with no guarantee of income and no stability to be able to actually budget yourself and pay bills,” Moreno said.
But there are entities opposed to the idea like the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA), citing it could take a take on businesses across the state.
“It would have a really harmful impact especially on small businesses and their ability to provide flexible schedules for people to adapt to things that are beyond their control that may impact whether they can open or close,” VP of Government Affairs Eric Gjede said.