If you live in New York City, you earn a little bit of sick leave every day you work. It’s part of the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA), a law that protects all of us. Those protections are being attacked by the top anti-worker law firm in the world, JacksonLewis, the guys who hold the secret meetings and literally wrote the book on union busting. Under the previous system, corporations had a pretty easy time avoiding accountability. Starbucks workers waited 3 years for their rights to be enforced, Amazon workers 4, and a JetBlue employee waited 8 years to be reinstated. Our rights disappeared the moment employers chose to violate them. That changed last year. In 2024, the New York City Council passed Local Law 22, creating a dual enforcement model, administrative and judicial, designed to protect workers from prolonged job loss and economic hardship. This means that when an employer breaks the law workers can go to court themselves and ask a judge to enforce their rights. It’s not about big payouts. It’s about getting your job back in days or weeks instead of months or years, stopping retaliation, and showing other workers it’s safe to stand up. There are two ways courts can quickly stop violations and reinstate workers who have been retaliated against—a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction. These tools can stop employers from continuing to break the law. Without them New Yorkers can plan for their right of action to take 32 months to reach a verdict, possibly three years by the time judgment is enforced.  Hannah Lopez is a restaurant worker in New York City. She’s worked at Tao Group restaurants for 10 years. She cares about her coworkers and has done everything from picking up shifts for coworkers’ emergencies to securing legal help for a coworker taken from her restaurant by bounty hunters working for ICE. Months ago, she was fired after helping her coworkers exercise their sick leave rights. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protections (DCWP) issued four different charges against the company. Though they have continued to try, the company simply refuses reinstatement. Because they are getting away with it, the message to workers is clear, “exercise your rights and you’ll be fired”. To fight back, Hannah has moved to the courts. After filing for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction to end retaliation, to be returned to work, and end current violations against her and her coworkers at the restaurant, the judge said that she had “a very strong case”—but denied the request. And there’s the problem: If courts don’t have the ability to enforce ESSTA, to stop current violations and prevent future ones, we could be right back to waiting months or years for justice. And companies will know they can go back to violating ESSTA. The outcome of this case could determine the nature of everyone's access to our Earned Safe and Sick Time rights. We have two possible solutions: 1. Brandworkers and allies are organizing a Letter of Legislative Intent. We believe the council’s intention was to create a law that ensures New York City’s workers can use sick leave without being fired and this is how we can help them make it clear to the court and to all of us. We have until June 20th at 5:00pm.¹ 2. If city council’s support doesn’t materialize, ²we’ll keep organizing—pushing the council to ensure ESSTA enforcement is real, timely, and protects workers before they’ve lost everything. If Hannah wins, the court can affirm that the private right of action is created to enforce the provisions of the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act; to stop violations as they happen, instead of allowing workers to be harmed until the final closing of their case. If she loses, the court may signal that corporations can violate the law, ignore city enforcement, and run out the clock while workers lose everything. Hannah is a ‘pro se’ litigant. That means she is by herself and has been for months. She has made it so far but the next steps are critical and she needs our help. This is about more than one worker—it’s about whether the law actually protects all of us. Here’s how you can help: 1. Sign and Share this petition . If you work for a living and have never fought for your rights. We will show you how. 2. Donate - If you’ve ever been able to take sick leave, support the workers fighting for it. Stand with Hannah. Defend our rights. Protect NYC’s sick leave law. Contact us at: [email protected] See the growing list of organizations already standing with NYC workers. ---------------------------------------------- ¹ We will release the Letter of Legislative Intent as soon as we receive final confirmation from our early champions. Some City Council members have already requested a draft, which we’ve shared with them. The letter is still in the drafting phase. ² A Better Balance and the National Employment Law Project (two of the leading organizations behind Local Law 22 and sick leave legislation across the country) are working with Brandworkers and our campaign to help craft an additional appeal to the city council. * We’ll be hosting Zoom calls for petition signers to share what we’ve learned about the history of ESSTA and its role in the ongoing struggle for workers’ rights in New York City. These sessions are a chance to deepen our understanding, build strategy together, and stay connected in the fight. * Our campaign’s ultimate goal is to ensure ESSTA enforcement happens on a timeline that makes these rights real for workers. There may be multiple paths to get there. If we find it necessary to revise this petition, adjust our strategy, or shift course entirely, we will make changes transparently and notify all signers. United we bargain. Divided we beg.

The ultimate goal of PSH-LMC employees is to convert to an Employee Ownership model, either as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), or more greatly a Workers Cooperative. El objetivo final de los empleados de PSH-LMC es convertirse en un modelo de propiedad de los empleados, ya sea como un plan de propiedad de acciones de los empleados (ESOP), un fideicomiso de propiedad de los empleados (EOT) o, en mayor medida, una cooperativa de trabajadores. In order to achieve this ultimate goal, it is necessary to unionize not only ourselves, but the Nurses as well. When all staff have advocacy and can negotiate the purchasing of the Hospital, we can remove the poor leadership and create a workplace for us, by us. With dedication and steadfastness we can not only make our work lives beneficial, but our lives in general will see betterment. This is not only our right, but our duty to make this place better for everyone. Para lograr este objetivo final, es necesario sindicalizarnos no sólo nosotros, sino también las Enfermeras. Cuando todo el personal tenga defensa y pueda negociar la compra del Hospital, podremos eliminar la mala dirección y crear un lugar de trabajo para nosotros, por nosotros. Con dedicación y constancia no sólo podremos hacer que nuestra vida laboral sea beneficiosa, sino que nuestra vida en general también mejorará. No es sólo nuestro derecho, sino nuestro deber hacer que este lugar sea mejor para todos. Through unity and strength we can make our lives better. Mediante la unidad y la fuerza podemos mejorar nuestras vidas.

On May 20, 2022, Drake Cooper zigged when everyone else zagged, and promised a flexible, hybrid workplace policy titled, "Your Choice, Hybrid." "Drake Cooper is Your Choice, Hybrid. What we mean is, it's your choice. We are not going to force anyone to come back into the office, but we are going to maintain an office space..." In the years since this announcement, many of us have moved further from downtown to save money on housing, become healthier than ever before because commuting time could be spent dog walking or exercising. Maybe you expanded your family, or added a furry friend into the mix. Maybe you passed up higher pay because you were so proud to work somewhere that broke trail and put its employee-owners first.  This flexibility is a paramount piece of Drake Cooper culture, and taking it away for the benefit of collaboration in office is capped when so many team members work remote across the country and client calls are near exclusively virtual.

It's simple Publix Other cutters in other departments at Publix are paid a higher rate due to the fact that cutting is considered a skill and not everyone in the produce department can cut like a seasoned produce cutter. The fact remains we are being left out and I think this is a great platform to voice our option and reach the higher ups. We show up everyday and go through big bogos and big holidays at the same pay rate as other employees who are also extremely hard working. What we do is not easy and it does take skill so please pay us and treat us like everyone else who cuts at our stores.

CVS Health claims to care for all of its workers, and constantly states that it has its employees health and wellness in mind, while treating its employees like robots. We shouldn’t have to beg to be allowed to leave our desks for a few minutes to use the bathroom or walk around for a few moments without worrying about going over our metrics, or worrying if we are going to be able to afford food and shelter because of skyrocketing inflation. Our representatives work incredibly hard to make sure our members are taken care of, also while sometimes dealing with abuse and anger from members, or situations that are emotionally difficult. We deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and have compensation that can afford us a decent standard of living.

Right now Californians are facing record rents and house prices AND paying more for their weekly groceries than any other state! Minimum wage workers are on the frontlines of this crisis, and warehouse, retail, school staff, and child-care workers are some of those making the lowest wages in California.  Workers just can’t afford to survive like this. Why are essential workers the poorest? DO better Amazon! IMAGE CREDIT: Tony Webster

Many people know someone or are closely related to somebody who has special needs. Desert Arc is a pillar of the community representing these mentally disabled individuals, heavily relying on support and fundraising from everyday citizens in the Coachella Valley. Yet, with an intake of 50 million in revenue (site: Zippia.com), we the workers , who are hands on, make an average of $18 per hour. The CEO and those above us, when asked, cannot give a specific accounting for where the money is distributed. Our mileage reimbursement (which has been in place for at least 8 years) is now being taken away, in addition to employees now making less than than those working at fast food restaurants, yet we are responsible for human lives.

These members of staff are the future of the company, and management need to remember that grade 2 & 3 employees do have families at home, and social life’s of their own and start treating them with a little more respect. As I write this today I can almost guarantee there isn’t a current grade 2 or 3 that hasn’t been affected at home whether due to arguments with partners, losing contact with friends, or lack of time spent with their kids. We respect massively what the current long serving CORE employees have given to this company. And I believe they are with us when it comes to wanting a fairer, more structured shift pattern for all grade 2’s and 3’s.

Macy's in Tacoma has been a long standing institution that employs many. We have recently found out that our store may be closing in the near future. Over 100 Macy’s workers at the Tacoma Mall location including the Furniture Gallery have been bargaining for a fair contract since January. Please support us as we attempt to bargain for dignity and respect during this difficult time.

We believe that these firings and targeting of employees, the affects these have on the wider community, and the steps Natural Grocers has taken to impede the rights of their workers to organize are in violation of the company’s proclaimed commitments to crew and community. Community is formed through relationships. Customers and crew have formed meaningful relationships over the years and those relationships can better inform company policies to better serve customers. This is a COMMUNITY CALL to UPHOLD Margaret Isley’s five founding principles (see more here: https://www.naturalgrocers.com/our-five-founding-principles) by respecting workers’ rights or organize and embracing the desired feedback structure of workers. We understand that COMMITMENTS require ACCOUNTABILITY, and evidence has shown us that the path to that accountability is a union for Natural Grocers workers. We do believe that the founders of Natural Grocers and the current leadership do genuinely care. We do believe that, unlike a company like Amazon, Natural Grocers could take the feedback of this petition and address our concerns. We hope they will not disappoint us. Community Member Testimony “The warmth and genuine conversations that I have with all of the crew is why I love shopping there, and I want them to feel just as comfortable and supported. It is really distressing to me that a store that I love, value, and respect is causing its employees to feel unsafe about asking for better working conditions, pay, and benefits. I hope that through incorporating the feedback of their employees, Natural Grocers can become an even healthier environment holistically because they value everyone who keeps the store flourishing.” Crew Member Testimony “I have been an employee at the Natural Grocers in Norman, Oklahoma, store #48, for over 8 years. I work very hard to connect intentionally with each customer I encounter and to find them what they need. I have brilliant and kind coworkers and former coworkers whom I have witnessed do the same. I have seen our store act as a community center in many ways. Whenever I go out in Norman, I almost always run into one of my regular customers and they greet me. I have watched children grow up in our store. My apron is filled with buttons and pins, many of them gifts from customers and others in my community. To this day, this is my favorite job I have ever had. But I am sad to say that the company and my little store are rapidly changing, and not for the better. I want a union because I do care deeply for my coworkers, my store, my community, and the future of the company. I believe that a union would provide a more accessible feedback and representation system for workers and that this would enable the company to better uphold their principals and goals.”

Supporting a coworker's petition can be intimidating, but it’s often the only path to workplace change. With more and more employees supporting a campaign, an employer’s ability to deny the demands of the petition becomes more difficult. Firing an employee covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) for signing a petition to improve workplace conditions is illegal under section 8(a) (3) NLRA. The NLRA provides that an employer “may not, by reason of reason, terminate an employee or take any other disciplinary action against the employee for the exercise of the employee’s legal right to improve the conditions of the workplace.”

The ongoing payroll issues at Telus are not merely administrative glitches; they are eroding the fundamental trust between the company's management and its dedicated employees. Week after week, the frustration intensifies as affected employees grapple with the fallout of negative paychecks, underpayments, and persistent broken promises. This issue is crucial because it extends beyond financial discrepancies – it's about the erosion of morale and confidence within the workforce. The toll on employees' trust is reaching a critical point, impacting their overall job satisfaction and commitment to the company. The importance of resolving these payroll issues promptly cannot be overstated; failure to do so risks a significant decline in employee morale, productivity, and the overall health of the employer-employee relationship.