Public Safety | No |
Housing | No |
Economic Development | Yes |
Public Services | No |
Environmental Justice | No |
Built Environment & Transportation | No |
Public Health | No |
Arts & Culture | No |
Workforce | Yes |
Spending | No |
Data | No |
Community Engagement | Yes |
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Economic Development: Current research shows that High Road employers are recruiting and retaining their employees at higher rates than others, but struggling to compete with employers taking shortcuts in various industries. See Blocking the Low Road and Paving the High Road: Management Practices to Improve Productivity | CEA | The White House and the reports included
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In The Economic Case for “High Road” Labor Practices - D'Amore-McKim School of Business (northeastern.edu) “Greg Distelhorst and Anita McGahan of the University of Toronto conducted a comprehensive study of more than 4,000 companies across developing countries, investigating the impacts of wage theft, abusive disciplinary practices, and other exploitative behaviors on firm performance. They drew a comparison between “high road” employers, who treat employees with fairness and value their contributions, and “low road” employers, who exploit workers to minimize costs and enhance control. The study found that companies on the low road experienced more frequent issues with quality control, delivery timelines, and lower order values than their high road counterparts. Consequently, the researchers suggest that NGO efforts to eliminate inhumane employee treatment could actually help companies enhance their productivity and profitability.”
Council authors and current members of the City's Workplace Advisory Committee (WAC)
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Data across multiple sources locally and nationally shows that BIPOC communities face greater rates of risk on the job, face disparities in the job market, make less money than their white peers, experience a higher rate of federal, state and municipal rights violations, and that these disparities have only compounded in certain sectors since the pandemic. The research below is just a sample of what exists but shows how these issues are relevant in Minneapolis and the State of Minnesota.
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The Growing Income Gap for Black Workers by Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis 2024
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Risky-employment-safe-assets-and-the-racial-wealth-gap by Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis 2024
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People of Color face systemic disparities in Minnesota’s Labor Market by Federal Reserve Bank 2020
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Toward an Equitable Economic Recovery in Minneapolis/Saint Paul by McKinsey and Company, 2021
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The creation of a Labor Standards Board, that also has Sectoral Workgroups, will increase the number of opportunities for BIPOC communities to have a seat at the table in making recommendations to the council. This is especially important because we know labor standards, or their violation, or a lack of labor standards, all disproportionately impact BIPOC workers.
Inform | Yes |
Consult | Yes |
Involve | Yes |
Collaborate | Yes |
Empower | No |
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Met with Hospitality MN individually twice, as well as at various larger stakeholder meetings, to hear about the concerns and input of the hospitality industry in Minneapolis
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Four large stakeholder meetings with business, labor, and enterprise represented to receive direct feedback on the draft, provide information, and make changes accordingly
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Meeting with BIPOC restaurant owners to discuss the additional challenges faced by this demographic of business owners and hear their feedback in addition to their larger industry concerns
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Multiple meetings with Labor Unions, non-unionized workers, and worker advocacy organizations on their Needs and how LSB could provide an opportunity for solutions
The creation of the Labor Standards Board was created in partnership with community stakeholders, primarily labor advocates. The impact can be directly measured on their experience by their ability to participate in and see the work produced by the sectoral boards and the industry specific standards they would recommend to council.
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We did ABC to better engage residents in policy making, with the LSB in compliance with the reforms we hope to see the Labor Standards Board have less vacancies than the current WAC (4) after it’s first appointment process completes.
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Inaugural members of the LSB being appointed
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The Minneapolis City Council, in collaboration with the Mayor, is able to fully fund a new FTE for the Department of Civil Rights
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The Department of Civil Rights having filled the newly funded FTE in time to support the first appointed LSB
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Through public benchmarks such as appointments for the Labor Standards Board and Labor Standards Board Workgroups
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Regular presentations to Committee and Council from the Department of Civil Rights
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Human Resources presentation to Council regarding hiring
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The 2025 Budget Markup process
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Reports within the LSB regular meeting, and resolution required reporting to Council
Impacted people will be informed of progress over time with a series of public benchmarks that can be followed on the City’s Legislative Information Management System. They will be able to track appointments made to the Labor Standards Board, the industry-specific sectorial boards and ultimately in the new policies that will come forward as a result of their work.