Important Action To Take This Week

Email Your NYC Council Members to Oppose Mandated Paid Vacation

It’s important that everyone makes themselves heard on the crucial issue of mandated paid vacation. We have put together  this tool  for reaching out to your Council Members. Enter your address, and the portal will automatically identify your Council Member. You can then choose between several pre-written messages, or edit your own, to be sent via email. You can repeat this process for each home or business address you have in NYC.

Contact Your Congressional Representatives - Keep the Tip Credit!

It is expected that over the next couple of weeks, Congress will vote on legislation that would eliminate the tip credit for all workers. The NYS Restaurant Association and its members have fought hard for years to keep this important economic tool here in New York, and now we need to make sure Congress does not undo all of our hard work.

It’s vital that we let our Congressional Representatives know that if they go forward in eliminating the tip credit it would have a devastating impact on restaurants here in New York. Education is needed, we must tell them that all workers are already guaranteed the full minimum wage and that by eliminating the tip credit you would just be taking money out of the pockets of the people who they are trying to help. They need to know that throughout the six hearings here in New York, tipped workers turned out in force to let the Department of Labor know that this is a bad idea.

To contact your Congressional representative and send them a draft email telling them to keep the tip credit click here

Reminder - CBD and Styrofoam Bans Being Enforced in NYC

As of July 1, the bans on CBD and Styrofoam are being enforced in NYC. You may  not  use Styrofoam plates/bowls/containers/packing peanuts/etc. or offer these items to customers. You also may  not  offer any food or beverages that have CBD in them – this includes pre-packaged items.

Please contact our Government Affairs team with questions about compliance: call the hotline at  833.682.6411  or email  advocate@nysra.org .

NYSRA Testifies on Commercial Waste Zones and Delivery Platforms

On June 27, the NYSRA Government Affairs team spent the day at City Hall testifying on two important topics for the restaurant industry. In the morning, the Sanitation Committee held a hearing about imposing exclusive commercial waste zones in New York City. Notably, the Department of Sanitation testified on behalf of the administration, and they oppose exclusive zones. They have put forward an alternate plan in which 3-5 carters service each zone, which NYSRA sees as a preferable choice. ​Our testimony expressed skepticism about a zoned system in general, and emphasized opposition for exclusive zones as our top priority.

In the afternoon, the Small Business Committee held an oversight hearing about third party delivery platforms. NYSRA testified about the need to find clear and mutually beneficial terms to the relationship between restaurants and delivery platforms. Particularly in light of the recent mistaken phone order charges, this is an important goal. Representatives from Uber Eats and Grubhub were also present, and they confirmed that there will be no retaliation against restaurants who raise issues with their platforms. The SBS suggested improving education to businesses about the details of their contracts with these platforms and the risks and benefits they present. 

We will continue to keep you informed as we gather new information on these topics. If you have any questions or feedback, please email  kathleenr@nysra.org
NYSRA Compliance Hotline
833.682.6411 | advocate@nysra.org