City Councilman Reynoso to Introduce Legislation Mandating Exclusive Waste Carting Zones
For the last three years, the NYS Restaurant Association’s government affairs team has worked with the Department of Sanitation regarding its proposal to move to a waste carting zone system. Under the Department’s proposal, New York City would be divided up into 20 commercial zones and waste haulers would submit bids to service each individual zone. While this plan from the Department would allow 3-5 carters to operate in each zone, new legislation from the City Council calls for each zone to have only one carter, which would take all choice away from businesses across the city when it comes to their waste hauler.

The Association has joined a number of other business groups in opposition to Councilman Reynoso’s plan and will be sending out a joint press release when the bill is introduced next week. We will be asking members to participate in this campaign as well and will advise you on what steps you can take to voice your concerns in the coming weeks.

Reminder: Employer’s Mandated to Provide Employees with Paid Voting Leave
This year’s final state budget included language that mandates employers provide their employees’ with up to three hours of paid leave to vote in any election. The paid time off to vote must be taken at the beginning or end of the employee’s work shift and the employer may designate on which end of the shift the employee can take this time. Workers are required to notify their employers two days in advance if they will require this time off to vote. New York State is also requiring employers to post notices of this policy in areas where employees congregate at least 10 days prior to an election .

Action Alert: Come Testify Against the Mayor’s Paid Time Off Proposal
A hearing has been scheduled on Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council’s proposal that would mandate an additional 2 weeks of paid personal time in New York City. The hearing is set for May 28 at 10 am at City Hall. The NYSRA Government Affairs team will be testifying against this proposal, and we are asking Association members to join us. If we come together as a united front with other city business leaders we have a better chance of successfully pushing back against this harmful mandate.

If you can attend the hearing, please contact NYC Government Affairs Coordinator, Kathleen Reilly, at  kathleenr@nysra.org .

About the Paid Time Off (PTO) Proposal
The paid personal time off proposal would require any business with 5 or more employees to offer 2 weeks of paid personal time to their employees, to be used however they would like. This paid personal time proposal would be an additional 2 weeks on top of the already mandated 5 days given to all employees for paid sick time.

Why This is Terrible for Restaurants
  • NYC restaurants, already struggling to manage the negative impact of the new $15.00 minimum wage, will now be forced to pay employees to NOT be at work for 120 hours a year
  • The way the PTO mandate is written would cause absurd scheduling complications, because it would allow employees to call out, day-of, for any reason that is “unforeseeable.” Yet, the law doesn’t define what would count, or require it to be an emergency. For the service industry especially, giving 10 extra days where employees can call out at the last minute and still be paid is a scheduling disaster. 
  • The PTO mandate will be a logistical and financial catastrophe for restaurant owners.

Hearing Date: 5/28/19
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: City Hall, City Hall Park, New York, NY 10007
NYSRA Compliance Hotline
833.682.6411 | advocate@nysra.org