Good afternoon alderman, if you are in the chambers, can you please
sign into your E-devices. If you're having difficulty please
raise your hand. Thank you.
Good afternoon. The council will come to order. Madam
Clark. Please take a quorum roll call.
Good afternoon. The quorum roll call is now open, please mark
yourselves present.
Okay, I'm now going to call in those who have not used their
device yet. Alderperson Robinson? Alderperson Robinson is
present.
Alderperson Hall? Alderman Hall is present.
Alderwoman
Lee?
Alderwoman Lee is present.
Alderwoman Ramirez? Alderwoman Ramirez is present.
alderman
Alderman Quinn? Alderman Quinn is present.
Oops
You guys are all present. Moving on
[inaudible]... Alderman Mosley?
Alderman Mosley is not present.
Alderman Waguespack?
Alderman Waguespack is not present.
Alderman Ramirez Rosa? Alderman Ramirez-Rosa is present.
Alderwoman Mitts?
Alderwoman Mitts is not present.
Okay, has everyone in chambers marked themselves?
Alderwoman Silverstein?
Alderwoman Silverstein is present. Please mark her present.
Thank you. Quorum is now closed.
there
There are thirty-six members present. We do have a quorum.
Alders Hopkins, Yancey, Coleman, Curtis, Taylor, Tabares,
Taliaferro, Rodriguez Sanchez, Lawson, Gardner. I'm sorry
Napolitano have all requested to participate in today's
meeting remotely. For rules, sorry for reasons stated in
rule 59, family emergencies business in public body as
well as illness
Can I get a motion to approve the remote participation
and have them added to the quorum? Thank you. It's been
moved.
So, please Madam Clerk the allowance of Alders Hopkins
Yancey, Coleman, Curtis, Taylor, Tabares, Taliaferro, Rodriguez
Sanchez, Lawson, Gardne, and Napolitano. Please allow them to
participate in remotely. And again, do I have to do this
All in favor signify by saying I any opposed
say nay and in the opinion of the chair the I's have it, so again
Madam Clerk, please mark of the following alders
participate in remotely as present on the quorum roll
call. Let's stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, please.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of
America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation
under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Please remain standing for our invocation which will be
delivered by Reverend Ira J Acry of the Greater Saint
John Bible Church.
Eternal God we come before your presence today.
Seeking your guidance in this vital and pivotal council
meeting as we gather in these sacred chambers at this
watershed moment it's my prayer that your will would be done
by those who have sworn to serve a great city. We pray that
our city that has had such a long history of segregation will
replace that with legislation that ends this ugly Tale of
Two Cities. We pray for equal pay for equal work. We pray
for the sick and the first class prisons and second-class
schools. While others have advocates and lobbyists to fight
for them, I stand as a voice for those at the bottom of the
empire.
we've
We pray for the scales of justice to be balanced for every
citizen of Chicago. Lord we will not rest until justice
rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty
stream. We pray for peace and tranquility not only in the
streets, but in these hallowed halls of this chamber. May
peace prevail throughout our city our country and beyond and
as we prepare to enter the Yuletide season,
We think of mother Mary, the theotokos, the carrier of our
Saviour being blocked from Bethlehem in. I'm compelled to
think about our dear mother Alderman Mitts. Thank you Lord
for her wisdom to take the high ground this week as a
vessel of peace saving our City from further disgrace.
In that same spirit of our dear mother alderman
Emma Mitts, we pray the Lord make us one. We pray for the
security, serenity, insanity of this August body and for our Mayor.
and we speak these words in the name of the God of love and
justice, in the name of the God of Sojourner Truth and
Harriet Tubman, Ida B Wells, Jane Addams, Fanny Lou Hamer
Betty Shabazz
and
a a
And Coretta Scott King, we pray in the name of the God of
Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel and in the name of that one who
was born outside the end, raised in Nazareth, baptized in the
muddy Jordan, arrested by the Romans, crucified by the Empire.
Yet he was raised by the power of God. We ask these
blessings in His holy name and all of the people of God
said Amen, Amen, Amen. You may be seated.
This is a portion of the meeting dedicated to public
comments.
The council will now begin the public comment period which
is limited to a maximum of 30 minutes. Each speakers
limited to three minutes speakers cannot yield or transfer
their time to another speak. Any written comments that has
been submitted will be posted and made available for
aldermanic review. The first speaker is
Miss Jacqueline Zuniga
I will not be silenced from the third-floor balcony. I
stand gere representing all the underserved communities and
Chicago. We have been unfairly treated even in City Hall as
representatives for our communities.
CTU has been taking priority seating over all of us.
I've been here since 1:30 yesterday. There was some sort of
fiasco, even though we are first in line, we were also put
to the third floor. We were told that there wasn't any
seating on the second floor. I saw the seating on the
second floor. I have videos of the empty seats on the
second floor.
I would like to know why you think it's okay
to try to build migration camps at 3800 South California
Also 2800 West 38th Street when that is zone reserved for
manufacturing
that
That's that's not meant for any sort of residential building
there. And when I called Digger, Digger said that they
didn't get any calls or nobody contacted them in regards to
digging up the street on 38th in front of said potential
site.
So there was digging in the street and in the sidewalk and
when I called the city of Chicago for permits, they said
the city of Chicago can do what they want. The water
department can apply for the permits later.
And when they said it was set up water replacement that's
the only thing that I saw but when I saw them digging up
the street, I didn't see any existing lines for them to be
replaced. So I'm just wondering where replacement comes
into play when that wasn't there were no established pipes
down there in the first place and the water was shut off to
homes for 12 hours. I believe it was Tuesday when the
initial notices that went out were for a Monday so
I think that Chicago needs to get rid of the leaves that
are already in existence. We don't need to turn a new leaf.
We need to we need to rake all the old leaves out because
you think that from where you stand you're safe.
You're comfortable. We're not safe. We're not comfortable
and we're going to be heard as residents of Chicago. We
have lived here for Generations. We've dealt with loads of
different things. You can't even imagine. So we're tough
and we're resilient and we stand strong on our beliefs on
our face
On our relationships with other people in Chicago we care
about each other.
I represent Brighton Park personally, that's where I
reside.
Thank you your time has expired.
The next speaker is Hugo O'Carry.
Good afternoon members of city council and Mayor Brandon
Johnson. My name is Hugo O'Carry, policy director for Raise the Floor Alliance. You may remember me where
I spoke on the issue before the Workforce Development
Committee for the ordinance paid time off and I'm a
resident of the 25th Ward. Raise the Floor Alliance is
alliance of worker centers around the city of Chicago,
County of Cook, and state of Illinois. We represent
primarily black and brown workers in low-wage industries
across our 50 Wards. And today I am here in support of the
paid time off ordinance. I've been a part of negotiations
for months with the city of Chicago in the business
Community. We have moved significantly from our original
proposal
Proposal particular to address the needs of small businesses
including the ones in your wards many of which are in
support of our ordinance, despite that the defenders of big
business and corporations remain opposed to this measure
their reason is that it's too much too soon. I've heard
that time and time again that it is too much too soon. And
I'm sick of hearing it. Alderpeople I ask you was it
too much to give workers the ability to take time off to
care for a sick family member? Is it too much to give a
worker the ability to go to their daughter's ballet
recital? Is it too much to give workers the ability to live
a life worth living, because for decades business has gotten
their way their way to control the lives of workers there a
way to force workers to miss the most valuable days of
their lives.
How much longer before those big businesses and those that
listen to the Chicagoland chamber of commerce think the
workers of Inglewood Inglewood, Pilson, South Shore, Roseland
get their break? How much longer until it's no longer too
much too soon? With this most recent election, workers have
seen the mountaintop. They have seen what is possible. They
have seen that we can have a city that doesn't just say it
loves workers, but actually passes policies that shows that
it loves its workers city council. You have an opportunity
today to join workers on that mountaintop and bring Chicago
forward to a city that works for all people and not just a
handful of millionaire and
billionaires. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. O'Carry.
the next
The next speaker is Jackie Paige.
I find myself here on the third floor in the area where the
no do arrows are placed because we don't have a voice. We
don't matter up here. You don't want to see us. You don't
want to hear from us. So you put us on the third floor
because we don't matter. We don't count. Our opinions don't
matter to you because this is the administration of
organized crime. These hallowed halls up here is for the
well-heeled, for the well-connected, for those who are in
power and this is an administration of The Haves and
the Have Nots, the people are the Have Nots, the Chicago
Teachers Union and their cronies are the haves. The Chicago
Teachers Union have brought themselves and Mayor your seat.
The Chicago Teachers Union
are probably sitting on that second floor right now. But
you see we the people will not be denied. We the people
will exercise our right, our first amendment rights and our
right to liberty and justice for all. We will not be
suppressed, voter suppression is going on on these halls and
not only that but hate speech. We were taunted with hate
speech and it was done by an organized group. We say no to
that kind of behavior. We say no to that kind of government
and we say no to those frenemies that come and smile on our
faces, but then betray us and pretend like they're our
friends. These politicians do not vote in our interest, the
citizens of Chicago I am challenging you to do something
different, if you don't like the way that you are being
treated do something different
We can't touch the Alderman, but we can touch the state
rep. We can touch the state senators. We can touch the
congressman and we can touch the Senators. We don't like it
and we say it's time for us to do something different and
what is different have a two-party system. We right now
have a one-party system and that's why we are being
disrespected. You may not be feel comfortable with saying
Republican
but that is what
But that is what is needed right now. Cuz the Democrats
have thumbed their noses up at you. And if you want to thumb
your noses back at them consider another choice and I say
for those who are floating petitions do not sign
nominating petitions for betrayers. These betrayers who voted
in for migrants over Americans, kick them out.
Thank you, Miss Paige.
The next speaker is Blanca Martinez.
when
[Spanish Dialogue]
Thank you.
our next speaker
Our next speaker is Vanessa Vasquez. Excuse me, I'll be repeating her comments in English. I'll be doing this with both speakers here.
My name is Blanca Martinez and I am a member of Arrise
Chicago. I work in a restaurant downtown and we don't have
paid days off. As other parents who work in restaurants know,
the hours can be tough. As a working mom, it's hard to have
quality
time with my daughters.
The three of them are at school
during the week and I work every weekend. Now that they are
adolescents, I need more individual time with each one to
talk about changes happening in their lives and all of
their activities. I've lost many important days with my
daughters because I don't have time. I'm always saying, I'm
sorry I don't have time right now I need to work. With
this ordinance instead of saying No No No, I can finally
have the opportunity to say yes. Yes to more time with
my daughters, and the truth is that 5 days is not much. It's
not one day every month or even one day every two months. I
want you are elected representative, especially those who
have children, nephews, nieces, grandchildren to think about
that. Only one full day with your kids less than every 2
months. Think about it. It's not a lot of time, but it will
benefit thousands of families like mine. It is in hopes of
having more quality time with my family that I ask you
for your vote in favor of the pay time ordinance today.
Thank you. The next speaker is Vanessa Vasquez.
[Spanish Dialogue]
My name is Vanessa Vasquez. I'm a working mother and a
member of Arrise Chicago. I am here to ask for your vote in
favor of the paid time off ordinance. I'm here not only for
my own family or representing over 1,300 members of Arise
and all working families in Chicago. All of us need paid
time off. I know what it means to work tirelessly. To work
all the holidays, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving
Christmas, and New Years without the opportunity to be with
my family. I ask you our alderpeople, who here does not
have paid days-off? Who has the same experience of working
without time to be with their families? Not on these
holidays or the other special days like their
birthdays. Do you know what it feels like to be a parent
and not be with your children these days? We all deserve
time with our families, time to rest and recover our bodies
and wellbeing no matter how much we earn. With this ordinance
we have the opportunity to improve the quality of life for
our families for the chance to lift the lives of hundreds
of thousands of families in our city. I ask you to vote
yes on the paid time off ordinance. Thank you.
our next speaker is
Our next speaker is Sister Zakia Muhammad.
Bismillah al-rahman al-rahim. I would like to say good
afternoon to the city council members, the media over there,
and to my brother Mayor Brandon Johnson who we fought on
some fronts together and all those fronts we fought on
together when I was with SEIU or anyting else out there in
the street brother Brandon, you have always been on the
right side of history. That's why I campaigned for you and
that's why I voted for you. That's why I encouraged others
to vote for you because I knew and I felt in my heart that
you would be on the right side of history and that meant
including your people, descendants of enslaved Africans.
Brother, you got to stop the buses from coming in. You just
got to stop the buses coming in cuz it's hurting your
people. I'm talking about the descendants of enslaved
Africans. We are hurting. The things our people have been on
the waiting list come
For the immigrants are coming in getting everything and I
don't have time to go into all of it because I have another
concern. When I used to come down here on the Harold
Washington and we were fighting Edberg, [inaudible], and
the rest of the haters are black people that said in these
seats down here, we have two latino Alderman. We had Luis
Gutierrez and Jesus Garcia. They never pushed the black
women around. They never voted against black peoples
issues. They never held meetings behind Mount
Washington's back to form committees. They never tried to
take black Wards and black precents. I thought we were on
our way to a black and brown Coalition, but you know what?
I thought I'd see it under you, but you know what, Carlos
Rameriz
he spoiled all of that and it was disrespectful to every
black man down there on that floor including you that he's
comfortable enough to put his body in front of a black
woman you understand and tell her what she can't do. She know
ain't no strong black man down there that's gonna confront
him, you know, his people got this back. I wish it had
been me he pushed but I'll just go on and say as it is, something
has got to be done cuz all black
women ain't satisfied with Emma Mitts apology, and we ain't
for it, but back to the buses my brother, please coming
from your elder. We've been talkin, the elders been talkin. We
looking for you to help us on this issue. Stop the buses.
Please stop those buses from coming in here. Will you please?
Thank you.
Thank you sister Muhammad. Our next speaker is Chris
Warden.
Good afternoon. I'm Chris Warden and I work for women
employed, working to build women's economic power through
employment, education, and entrepreneurship. Women employed is
celebrating our 50th anniversary and during that time one
of the most critical policies we've advocated for is paid
leave, particularly for workers and low paid occupations and
part-time workers working jobs that often don't provide
benefits beyond what is required by law. We know these
workers are more likely to be women and more likely to be
black and Latina.
Access to paid time off is critical to workers and their families
who are struggling to make ends meet in a challenging
economy. It gives workers time to spend with their families
to care for their help without risking their livelihood
Paid time off also affords workers the ability to stay
home when they're sick, preventing their colleagues from
getting sick and missing work. It's also important for
women's participation in the Labour force. An Illinois
studies show that access to paid leave increased the
probability that a working mother remained in the workforce
employed by 10% and reduced her likelihood of experiencing
a loss of income by 14%.
due to
Due to the occupational segregation, women and especially black
and brown women are concentrated in low-paid jobs, which
are less likely to provide benefits beyond the minimum
required by law. Women are also more likely to shoulder the
burden of child care and taking off and off and having
to make the choice between their paycheck and the family. No
one should risk losing their job or their paycheck because
they're caring for themselves or their family. We need a
paid time off law that guarantees that workers can be with
their loved ones and earn a living no exceptions no matter
where we work and regardless of whether we are white black
or brown.
by expanding paid sick
By expanding paid sick time and paid time off, this
ordinance will help make sure workers are not putting a
position of jeopardizing their or their family's well-being
health or safety for a paycheck being able to take a day
off should not be a privilege afforded only two people in
high paying full-time jobs, the flexibility of paid time
off paired with the security of paid leave means that this
will be one of the most progressive and protective
ordinances of its kind and will provide a more secure
economic future for Chicago workers. The ordinance before
you today has a common sense policy and on behalf of women
employed, I want to voice our strong support for the
Chicago paid time ordinance and ask you to vote Yes on the
ordinance as it is proposed today. Thank you.
Our next speaker is Mary Kay Divine.
Good afternoon. My name is Mary Kay Divine and I am the
chief of staff at women employed. I'm a proud resident of
Chicago for almost thirty years. I first moved to Rogers
Park when I was 17 years old to go to Loyola University and
I am proud to say I am still a resident of the 49th Ward
where I live with my husband and my four children.
I was on
I was a primary caregiver for my parents until they passed
away recently so not only am I professionally highly aware
and in tune with these issues and needs of working women
working Families, I am personally invested in today's
ordinance.
On behalf of Women Employed, echoing my colleague Christina
Warden, we are voicing our strongest support for the
Chicago paid time off ordinance. I have paid time off. I am
able to go on field trips and volleyball games and concerts
and science fairs and it is unimaginable that other mothers
and fathers and guardians cannot even enjoy the fun times
with their families at the risk of losing pay and worse
losing their jobs. So this pay time ordinance is so
powerful because it covers caregivers for when people in
our family are ill
ourselves, but also for fun.
and
And just like the labor movement and workers and
organizations like Women Employed for years, hundreds of
years have talked about bread and roses. This is bread and
roses. We need to have our basic fundamental rights and
protections as working people and all of us no matter our
race, ethnicity, ward, zip code should have the opportunity
to take time off to enjoy our families.
On behalf of myself, the workers, our coalition partners
and my neighbors all across the city of Chicago, we
strongly encourage you, we plead with you. We ask you
Please alderpeople of Chicago, vote for the Chicago paid
time off ordinance as written. So that working women
working families, our children, our communities, and all of
our neighborhoods can thrive. Thank you for allowing me to
make public comment.
Thank you.
our next
Our next speaker is Nataki Rhodes.
Hey, good afternoon Mayor Johnson and the city council. My
name is Nataki Rhodes, National League Organizer for One
Fair Wage. I am standing here today as a national leader and
as a former worker and a very on behalf of One Fair Wage, a
very strong supporter of paid time off. As a former
worker, I too know what Vanessa is talking about. I too
had to struggle to raise my son, struggle to get day care
for him, struggle to get time off coming from tip wages, and
I really struggle and so I'll pull the city council to vote
yes on this order ordinance. This is a workers movement.
You pass One Fair Wage, stand up for workers, continue to stand
up for workers, continue to stand and support your Mayor.
Continue to stand
and support workers
support workers from the community. I'm from the 7th Ward. We
need the aldermans to stand up because guess Reverend Acry,
I am picking up the baton of Philip A Randolph. I
am fighting against the Illinois Restaurant Association.
They are here in full test. They are here to fight against
workers. I am fighting against the Lodging Association, the
Chicago Chambers of Commerce. These people are lobbyists, have
money to lobby against low wage single mothers that are here
trying to make a living and spend time and you want to talk
about youth violence. If vanessa, if parents are not here to
take care of the kids then guess what CPD is going to
continue to lock them up. There is going to be more Laquan
McDonald's, Paul O'Neil. The police kill youth. The police lock-up our youth.
And you say where are the parents? We'll we're at
Illinois Restaurant Association job. We're at the Lodge and
Associations job. We're trying to take care of the city.
We're trying to do this, but you want us to stay at home
We're trying to prevent youth violence and I have prevented
youth violence and we want to prevent youth violence but we need
paid time off and we need it now and we need the aldermans
from the 8th ward, the 20th ward, Alderman Beale Alderman Mitts
stand up for workers today, right now.
I urge you to pass paid time sick off for
workers today and do not let the Illinois Restaurant
Association win today. Today is the day for workers. Thank
you very much.
Our final speaker is Ivy Hart.
Is Ivy Hart here?
Good evening. Good evening. Mister Mayor, city council
members and city staff. I am Ivy Hart- mother, daughter
wife, unapologetically black, proud homeowner in the South
Shore Community. I'm here today with Women Employed to
voice my strong support for the Chicago paid time off
ordinance.
5 months ago, I had a baby that was sent to the NICU. I needed
a paid time off. When my mom feel and I needed to take care of
her, I need a paid time off. When my friend passed suddenly
Bless his heart Brent Hamlet.
I needed paid time off.
and
And this is not just about me and my experiences. In life
we can never predict what is going to come up nor can we
control it. We all deserve to have paid time off.
Even the people in the business community that oppose this
bill they are not exempt from family needing their help or
time needed to grieve or heal. So they may not know it but
they too deserve paid time off.
I want you to close your eyes for a second.
And think about someone you care deeply needing your help
and
And there's no one else to help them but you and they reach
out to you.
desperately
during your work day
but you weren't able to go.
Whether that's your kid, parent, best friends, or even your
dog, I know y'all care about your dogs too... that ain't right.
So as a city, we must stand together and ensure that no one
has to risk their ability to pay their bills, feed their
families, or lose their job in order to tend to the other
responsibilities that we have in this life. We plead vote
Yes to paid leave ordinance. Thank you.
Thank you your honor. There are no further speakers who
have timly signed up for the public comment period. Thank you
very much. This concludes our public comments for the
resolutions, we don't have any.
For Communications. We don't have any Communications. There
are no committee reports either. For the agreed-upon
calendar, the chair recognizes Alderwoman Harris. Mr.
President, we have no agreed-upon calendar matters. Thank
you. Very well.
All right, next up new business.
Traffic regulations, traffic control signals, and traffic
signs. Referred to the committee on pedestrian and traffic
safety exemptions from physical barrier requirement for
commercial driveway ally access to parking facilities
referred to the committee on transportation and public way
Alderman Riley and others have an ordinance to amend the
municipal code section 6-130-100 regarding procedures for
covered employees to give notice for violations of benefits
referred to the committee and Workforce Development
Alderman Irvin and others have an ordinance to amend
Municipal Code chapter.
6-130 regarding information requirements referred to the
committee on Workforce Development. Alderman Moore has an
ordinance for an honorary Street designation as Monera
Muhammad way referred to the committee on Transportation.
Alderman Lopez and others has an ordinance to establish a
policy prohibiting property owned by city and use for
shelter for migrants to continue such use be on 12 months
referred to the committee on budget. Your honor that
concludes the presentation of aldermanic introduction.
Thank you very much, for new business
chair recognizes Alderman Ervin.
Thank you Mr.President.
I know we're here today to deal with an item of form of
paid time off however I know that we got some one issue
that I think we've all have been in conversation about
Alderman of the 42nd Ward now both have introduced ordinances
to that effect dealing with the point about the private action so
with that, both of these items will be in the workforce
committee I want to thank Alderman Rodriguez for his
helping work through some of these challenges we've got time
to implement and work through this as private action issue
does not impact us if legislation passes into January
2025, so appreciate the conversation and around this issue,
but I'll definitely look forward to passage of the item
today. Plus the work that we going to do in
Alderman Rodriguez committee on workforce to finalize
this one issue.Thank you Mr.President. Thank you Alderman Ervin, thank you for your
commitment to collaboration. For the approval of the
journal, I understand that there are no journals to be
approved either. For unfinished business, the chair
recognizes Alderman Mitchell.
Mr.President I am aware of one item of Unfinished Business. It
was filed by Alderman Rodriguez and calls for a vote on SO20
23-0002980, which was deffered and published on November 7th
2023. Thank you very much, the chair recognizes
alderman
Alderman Rodriguez
thank
Thank you, Mr. Chair, just to summarize briefly in
committee on November 2nd we accepted a substitute
ordinance. That was SO2023-0002980.
The subsitute ordinance passed out of committee by a 13-2 to vote of the
members present, actually all were present, thank you very much
for that. The item was the deffered and published on November 7th
pursuant to my route 41 notice I hereby move for a roll
call vote on Chicago paid leave and paid sick leave and
safety of Ordnance SO2023-0002980. Mr. Chairperson, I'm sure folks
want to speak to this, I request leave to be the first
speaker on the matter. Leave is granted, permission to
continue to speak.
Yes, the chair recognizes Alderman Riley. Thank you. Mr.
President. Pursuant to rule 33 of the city council Rules of
Order, I'd like to move to accept the substitute ordinance
for a SO2023-0002980 that was circulated by the
sergeant of arms and electronically. The substitute simply
provides a 30 day care to employers to cure alleged
violations under this ordinance before an employee may
commence private cause of action. In order to allow good
operators to make their employees whole in the amicable
efficient and timely manner as opposed to both the employer
and employee going through the time effort and cost of a
lawsuit, it also simply clarifies the language regarding the
availability of the private cause of action for paid leave
beginning January 1, 2025 applies to violations occurring
on or after January 1st, 2025. This amendment would do
nothing else to all the provisions that were successfully
negotiated
by
Chairman Rodriguez and supporters of the ordinance but in
the last 48 hours I've received a number of frantic phone
calls from various members of the business community who
have essentially waved the white flag and accepted that the
ordinance will pass. They're asking for this one small
provision so that this ordinance does not become a jackpot
for litigation. I think allowing employers the 30 days to
make right with their employee any pay that may
owed to them as reasonable, according to the
business community still considered to be a burden but they
say that they can make that work and they do appreciate
that there's been discussion around this time to cure but
7 days they say is simply not nearly enough time,
especially for smaller and mid-sized employer. So this
ordinance will still be by far the most progressive in the
nation and a huge victory for organized labor. I'm simply
asking on behalf of the business community for us to take
this one little step to to make this a bit easier for them
to absorb while providing all of these great protections
and benefits for Chicago workers. Thank you very much Alderman.
There's a motion on the floor to accept an
amendment, chair recognizes Alderman Irvin.
Thank you.
Thank you Mr. President. I think that the point that the
Aldermam from the 42nd ward makes is is a point that is
right for discussion, however, I think the point of
discussion which I think is been relayed by both
ordinances that have been submitted. One calling for one
amount of days, one calling for another amount of days is
an item for committee. I think that I everything else is
intact and I will respectfully ask that we table that as
we're going to go to the committee for that discussion
in the workforce committee.
there's
There's a motion.
It's
So there's a motion to table the initial motion to
accept the substitute for this ordinance. This requires
an E-Vote I understand so
as we set up
there's a motion to lay Alderman Riley's motion on the table.
If you vote yes, you wish to return back to the initial
motion to pass the ordinance as is. If you vote no, you wish
to move forward with Alderman Riley's motion to accept the
substitute immediately.
Madam Clerk.
Please hit refresh
and cast your vote.
Okay, I will now call in those who have not yet voted
Alderman Hopkins.
Alderman Hawkins is a no.
Alderman Nancy?
Alderman Nancy
Yeah.
Is that a yes Alderaan Nancy?
I'm a yes. Can you please state if you are a yes
or no?
I'll move on. Alderwoman Coleman?
Yes.
Alderman Coleman is a yes. Alderman Curtis?
Yes, Alderman Curtis is a yes.
Alderwoman Taylor? Yes.
Alderwoman Taylor is a yes.
Alderwoman Tabares? Alderwoman Tabares is a no. Alderman Taliaferro?
Alderman Taliaferro is a yes. Alderperson Rodriguez Sanchez.
Yes. Alderperson Rodriguez Sanche is a yes. Alderman
Napolitano?
Yes.
Alderman Napolitano is a yes. Alderman Lawson?
No, Alderman Lawson is a no. Alderman Gardner? Alderman Gardner is no. Alderman
Yancey?
Can you hear me?
Yes, I can hear you.
Alderman Yancy?
Okay.
vote
Voting is now closed.
voting
Voting is now closed.
There are 35 yays and 12 nays, the motion to lay the
substitute motion of the table has passed. Chair recognizes
Alderman Rodriguez. This is Alderman Yancy I am trying to record a yes vote.
Yeah.
Yeah, we got you.
Chair recognizes Alderman Rodriguez.
thank
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and
look I want to get to the Bears game so, but I also
think that this issue and no I'm not going to it I just want to
watch it. Please direct your comments to me. Yes thank you Mr.
Chair.
You know this this matter is a very important matter to the
residents of the city of Chicago. I want to thank a number
of my colleagues, not going to name any names but there are
some folks who really stepped up to make this work well
and I think in the spirit of collaboration here in our
Council, I'm very proud of how we move forward.
But before we get to the vote, I like to say the following
my working-class roots, they run deep.
My father was a third shift teamster truck driver for the
Chicago Sun-Times, my mother a federal union employee with the
Social Security administration. God Rest her Soul
thanks to my
Thanks to my mom's union job that allow her to take several
days off each July, I have one of the fondest childhood
memories, our annual trip downtown.
We would walk from the Taste of Chicago to the boat ride with the
recorded voice.
Describing the reversal of the Chicago River, how the Sears
Tower was the world's tallest building, and how the oil
Standard Building was the largest marble structure in the
world. If you don't know now you know.
I remember sitting on the grass with my older brother and
sister, an amazing mother who is no longer with us, enjoying
a fresh breeze and a warm sun on my face during a beautiful
Chicago summer day while eating a chocolate and vanilla ice
cream swirl at the small food shop off of the Lake and Jean
Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive.
the
this childhood memory
was brought to you by paid time off.
this
This policy not only helps workers. It helps businesses.
Study after study shows paid leave increases worker
productivity and worker retention.
if covid
If covid taught us anything
it's the
It's that workers need days off. This can be a
life-or-death issue.
this
This is a gender and racial justice issue affecting a
workforce that is disproportionately women and people of
color who are more likely to work in low-paid and part-time
jobs without benefits. Just to be clear, to be very clear we
work closely with members of the business community on
negotiating this proposal. We don't always agree and that's
okay, but we've compromised. We went from 15 pay days off
that could be used for any reason that could not be denied to
5 days of paid time off that require prior approval by the
employer.
we
We went from No Limit on those days that the employer can
roll over.
to
two days
We went from requiring all business to payout to exempting
businesses 50 or less and a two-year phase-in for
businesses 51 to 100. We listen we compromise. We went from fines of
$2,500 for each separate offense to arranged to allow for
flexibility.
we went from
We went from allowing workers to file a case in court to a
private right of action on the effective date of the
ordinance to a one-year delay so folks can figure out how to
get this right.
we
We included a study that will be presented to the Joint
Committee on economic development, my committee work force
that will look at the impact of a small employer payout. I'm
committed also look at the worker and business impacts of
this law. We intentionally put this language in the monitor
policy.
Lastly, I want to thank chairman Irvin for coming to me
and working on some sort of compromise on this last piece
on the cure. We're going to work on that together.
These compromises have lead us to over a dozen individual
businesses and business associations representing hundreds
of workers supporting this compromise, and you know, it's
it's fair. A lot of businesses are against this but that's
this goes but this my friends is also supported by
100 clergy members
and
And let us remember what this is about. This is about the
workers in our great city and every labor group every
workers rights group, 100% is in support of this effort.
Colleagues
Chicago is the home to the eight-hour work day. We are the
city of big shoulders that for the last two centuries has
been the example of worker policies that have been
duplicated across the country. Join me today in again
making history. Let's yet again set the example for our
nation and for every little boy and girl and their memories
that they shape their homes and their dreams. Thank you,
Mr.President.
thank
Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Mitchell.
Do we get that? The hair recognizes Alderman Beale.
My apologizes. I'm a little taller than Mitchell.
Good evening. Good evening. Mr.President, colleagues.
I rise not to support this ordinance
However, I do support workers.
Now, how do you equate the two?
well
Well, you equate the two by both parties coming to the
table and working an issue out with nobody leaving happy.
That's usually a pretty good ordinance.
what you
What you have today is business saying
Y'all got the votes, let's minimize the damage and let's
as my colleague stated, wave the white flag.
Now one thing I hope everybody hears but during the
process
We had hearings, I asked the commissioner of the department
that have we done a thorough investigation and scrub on
this ordinance on how it's going to affect businesses here
in the city of Chicago either pro or cons. And the answer from
the commissioner is no.
When the commissioner of a department that is supposed to
oversee this program or this ordinance and enforce it says
that we have not done our thorough research
That's a problem.
When you ask the businesses
how
How that's going to affect their business and they tell you
without question 1.3 billion a year that's what it's
going to cost the city of Chicago when this ordinance is in
effect.
We asked the other side how much is it going to cost. They
had no answers. That's the only problem that I'm having
with some of the stuff that's being ran through this city
right now.
when
When you look at the tip wage, no thorough research. No
thorough scrub of how it's going to affect business. Now,
we got this ordinance. No thorough scrub on how it's going
to affect. Next, we got Bring Home Chicago.
the
The next ordinance is going to be stay home Chicago because it
won't be any jobs for people to be going to.
So we have to understand what we're doing here.
We have to protect workers. Yes, but we also got to look to
protect the business who hired the workers.
And if we don't do that, there's going to be nothing
left. Now, imma give you all the 800-pound gorilla that's
in the room.
That 800 lb gorilla is called property taxes.
because we
Because what's going to happen next year when the
assessments come through because we have a 40% vacancy rate
downtown
And every high-rise downtown is going in for reduction on
their taxes.
That assessment is going to be spread out there in time
city of Chicago.
Because of the vacancy rate so people are going to feel the
brunt of this one way or another.
And so when you have taxes going to be going up
reassessments going to be going up, art money running out
Y'all we are headed toward a collision course in this city.
And if we don't start looking to protect
the
The people in this city from beginning to end cuz there is
a balance.
there is
There is a balance.
But constantly pounding business over the head when
businesses are still struggling coming out of covid to
rebound and and get back to where they can at least make
3% because the profit margin on most of these businesses
restaurants is 3-4% per cent. This ordinance is going to take
it down to about 2%. One of our colleagues Alderman Tunny
has said he's thinking about closing some of his stores
because why, because we constantly constantly doing the
wrong thing in this body.
It is not this.
It is not this body's responsibility to constantly do the
bidding of special interest.
and that
And that's what we're doing. We're constantly carrying
special interest water
here in this body
The bleeding is gonna stop.
And do you know why the bleeding to stop, cuz it's going to
be no more blood in the body to produce. Thank you Mr.
Chairman. I hope you are both know. Thank you. The chair
recognizes Alderman Sposato. Oh, thank you. Mr.
President, and I didn't have my hand up, but I
planned on speaking. I just might like to wait a little
bit, but I'll speak that alright. LaSpata is ready. OK I'll speak after
him then. Okay. Thank you recognize his Alderman LaSpata. I
had a feeling that might be what had happened. Thank you.
I'm proud to stand in support of this resolution.
I'm glad for the restaurants and businesses who
voice
Voiced their concerns. I'm glad to the workers who voiced
their concerns because Ivy Hart up in the gallery. I mean,
if you're still there, there she is she's waving she asked us to
close our eyes and picture two people who are impacted by
this work or would be impacted by this work and
I thought of two people, I thought about my dad who passed
away in 2017 and Mike it was if I may, it was kind of the
opposite of your experience because from the time I was in
Middle School on, he couldn't go to any of our marching band
competitions. He couldnt go to any of our concerts. Couldn't go
to any of the plays my brothers and I were in because he
worked as a night security guard and because he was hourly and
because he didn't have a union he had no paid time off. It
was eight years of my dad not going to go get to go to
anything and then was really frustrating and now that he's
not here I'm sad for all the good memories that we didn't
get to make with him and I think about the second person I
think about is my daughter Luchia or just passed 14
months.
and I
And I want something so different for her. You know, I'm
I'm glad that I'm afforded the privilege of this job that
when she had her first doctor's appointment I was able to
take time off to go to that with my wife. I was really glad
to have time off to go for a birthday celebration with her.
I think about all the things that I don't want to miss
The selfish privilege honestly that a lot of us as men can
carry where we just put the domestic responsibilities on
our wives and partners and we say it's okay for me to focus
on my work because they're there to take their paid time off.
That's what they're supposed to do, and I'm not going to
live into that kind of selfishness personally or
professionally, so I'm glad that we have a chance to take
this vote today. And I'm also glad for the work that
Alderman Ervin is doing on right to cure because I feel
like we demonstrated that a couple days ago in this Council
if we really believe in restorative and reconciliatory action
before punitive action, if we demonstrated I feel
like we owe the same to the businesses that were passing
legislation about. So I'm glad for the vote that we're
going to take today and I'm glad to be coming back to vote
in the future on the amended language that Alderman Ervin has
put forward. Thank you Mr.President. Thank you.
Chair recognizes Alderman Sposato. Thank you Mr.President.
I want to
I want also say that I support working men, women,
and businesses in the in the city, but that's why I opposed this.
Somebody said today is the day for the working man or
working person. Well today is the day for the loss of
business and jobs and just another nail in the coffin for
loss of investment in the city is what I feel. To me this
seems like it was rushed, some people say it was some say it
wasn't. I have my own personal feeling. I know what I'm saying
means nothing. I originally thought this would be a 49 to 1
vote and I was prepared to be the one person maybe 40-10
now, but I'm still going to have my say so I just want to let
everybody know a lot of these businesses are everyday
people just like us struggling everyday to survive, figuring
out how they could get along. Some of these business owners
actually have employees that make more than them. Certainly
if you go by hours, they would certainly make more than them.
I heard the
I heard that it's disproportionately going to affect women of
color. Well, I don't I don't disagree with that. I don't
know where to facts come from but I'm not going to disagree
with that. But I do what I do want to tell you all that I
believe is going to disproportionately affect businesses of
color. The businesses certainly and surely a border wards.
We are going to get hammered, this is going to be difficult for
us. It's going to be difficult to get people to come to the
city as it already is. So we all know the life expectancies
of businesses are not very long. So I did hear from people
of course I did hear from people, a lot of my labor friends and I'm
sure they're going to be pissed at me, but I'm sure they'll get over
it and forgive me. So I hope you'll forgive me but I
did hear from I did hear from business that were
opposed to it and certainly heard from chambers. I heard
from a nice young lady from the little village chamber that
called me I don't know her she could be standing in front
of me. I wouldn't know her, calling me as a stranger just asked
me not to support this so then I didn't call her out by name, but I
guess I ratted her out. So but with that
I think it.
I think it's in good faith I can't support this. I think
it's going to be destructive to this city to jobs
businesses. Going to make things more difficult. Obviously,
I support vacations for people. I'm glad there's a cure
I still think it's a little too short. I need a
little bit more time, but I'm glad to have my say Mr.
President. Thought this might be a long meeting, I know everybody
is in a hurry cuz you know its all important to see the
Bears game. But to me, this is much more important. I don't
care for here till midnight. I know that's not going to
happen. But I just want to voice my opposition. I cannot in
good faith cannot support this cuz I think it hurts working
men and women in the businesses in the city of Chicago, but
thank you so much. Mr. President. I appreciate you. Thank
you. I have Alders Mitchell and Riley next, is that
accurate? So it's Alderman Riley.
Thank you, Mr.President. Twice in one week I'll be
agreeing with Alderman Beale which is
notable, but I just wanted to kind of reinforce a few of
the points that that my colleagues have made about this.
I'm also pro-worker and wouldn't be serving on this Council
but for the help from organized labor in Chicago Federation
of Labor when I ran against a 37-year incumbent, but that
said Alderman Beale is correct the business community can
only absorb so much at once and I understand that there is
a lot of enthusiasm
among members some numbers for your agenda, Mr.
President and I respect that but we're really piling on the
business community right now. And then certainly I want
folk to get paid time off as well. And I think the business
community has resigned to that fact and they're going to
try and find a way to make it work. But it's true. This is
going to be an extra 1.3 billion dollars in costs layered
upon our employers next year when this goes into
full effect, and there'll be consequences for that and
unfortunately, especially in the the border wards that
share borders with suburbs we're going to see a real
pronounced impacts there. I've heard from three of the
biggest restaurant groups all original to Chicago founded
here telling me that
with the layers of new regulations and requirements for the
industry they're not planning on opening a single new
restaurant here, and in instead they're going to be focusing
their investment, their economic development, their job
creation in markets like Nashville and Phoenix and Miami and
Naples, rather than opening stores that employ thousands of
workers here.
These groups collectively employ over 30,000 people and
they're not going to expand now and that is not a good sign
for our vacancy rates and adding jobs. Job growth is
critical here and Alderman Beale is also correct about the tax
base. If we head down that that spiral, we're not far off from
being Detroit. And again, I think some reasonable changes
to this ordinance, especially the cure is critical. This
should not become a jackpot for travelers. It should be
about really truly improving the lives of workers and find
a way for the employer to comply with this law. Give them a
chance if they do make an honest mistake to make it right
with the employee rather than having to go and spend tens
of thousands of dollars hiring lawyers to deal with
litigation.
And so I admire the work of the chief sponsor and chairman
of the committee. I think that it's a noble goal. But I
again, I just want to let everyone know on this chamber
that well-intended ordinances can sometimes have really
negative consequences and I think even with a 30-day cure.
This will still be the most progressive law in the country,
but my municipalities we need to give these businesses a
chance to survive because if they don't expand that means
fewer job opportunities
for future generations and once you lose a major employer a major
Restaurant Group, when they decide that other states are
better climate for them to do business, they're gone for
good. They don't come back. And so again, this is not about
taking on the Carnegie and Rockefeller and all the other
robber barons. A lot of the folks will be feeling the
impact of this ordinance are Mom and Pop's, smaller and
mid-sized employers not mega multinational corporations. So
the class warfare thing here I think should be more
nuanced. It's not really what this is. Small business
owners struggle just like everybody else and they pay
everybody else first before they pay themselves. So I just
hope folks keep this in mind as we do engage in debate
over Alderman Ervin's version of of the cure period or mine. Or
some blend between the two. So unfortunately because we
can't
do a floor ammendment today to deal with the cure period I have to vote no
on this ordinance as well. But that said I think everyone in
this chamber genuinely genuinely wants to improve the lives
of working families. I think that's a fact it's just a
matter of how we get there and how much pain this business
community can endure with regulation upon regulation upon
regulation being layered upon them in very short work. So I
know people have places to be, thank you for your
indulgence, Mr.President, but I hope people will keep all
of this in mind
as they're considering how they vote on the ordinance today and
how we proceed with an amendment in the future. Thank you.
Mr. President. Thank you. I have nowhere else to be.
The chair recognizes Alder Vasquez.
thank
Thank you very much Mr.President.
I want to thank our colleagues Alderman Ervin and Alderman Riley.
I think everyone here has an interest in getting this right
there may be disagreement in what that looks like but I
think everyone's doing it in good faith and so I'm glad
that there will be a conversation in Workforce Development
to kind of talk through it, you know in the 40th Ward
we're getting businesses reaching out, we had some of the
business association's reaching out, we have labor reaching
out. What we didn't have reach out were actual workers
because they don't really get a chance to take the time off
to actually find out what's going on to call us. They're busy
working and trying to figure out what time they have to
spend with their families. Right? We have Mom and Pop shops
that we have to consider. We also have Moms and Pops we
have to consider who don't have the time to actually be with
their families. We've got plenty council meetings here
where our colleagues will say, you know, this public safety
issue and there's violence. Where are the parents? I never see
the parents. Where are the parents at, they should be
doing parenting. You know, where a lot of them are
They're at work, unable to take a day off
to actually be with their
families. So this isn't just about business climate. It's
also about Public Safety. It's about giving people the same
rights that many folks in the Union's afford workers that
people fight for, you know for me it's hard. My
parents growing up, my mom was an envelope factory worker
not a union worker. My dad was a shoe repair guy not a
union worker and as I'm watching folks out here, I want to
show you a lot of help, but hope I apologize. There's a
young boy right here who is falling asleep while we are
watching this go on.
we got
We got parents are bringing their kids over here and
they're trying to get change to happen. And there's plenty
of kids out there that aren't able to see what's going on.
But what we do right now can serve to benefit them, the future
and this city. Now is there work to be done? Absolutely. Are we
going to continue to work on these living document and make
amendments to get it right? Absolutely. Compromise?
Absolutely. Right? We talked about the poor mom and pop
shops, if you got 50 employees or less, you were exempted
from pay out. If you got 51 to 100, you have a year for
implementation. For businesses larger than that, it's about buying
software and upgrading software to figure out how to do
it right companies have done this
plenty of times before. I have worked in retail my whole
life. A lot of this was figured out through software and can be
figured out and we want to make sure to get it right. When
people bring up the private right to action for example as
a worker let's see you feel like you got jerked and you
weren't able to get paid time off.
Right, you're going to run to a lawyer first or you going to
talk to the employer and say hey I don't think I was
done. That is an automatic opportunity to cure right
It's not like these workers all if a sudden are like let me go
reach out this lawyer to sue the employer. It's not the
way it works out. I have talked to the Restaurant
Association and others and I said, you know what, if you
have a case to make I'd love to hear it, please show me the
data of all the workers that you seen that go straight to
the lawyer and don't solve if. If everyone's got an issue about paid time off
what percentage of those workers go immediately to a
lawyer. What are those lawsuits look like? Show me the date on
that? I'm still waiting on that information. So I think we have
plenty of time to get this right. I think we need to do
what's right for the workers out here and for the people who
are sitting because as much as you want to stay that we are here for
small business and we want to look out for small business
We should also be looking out for the workers whose labour
creates the success that those businesses are happy to to
be granted right. It's not about a job creation. It's about
a fact there is a market demand and labor that meets that demand
and when those things work together you end up with success
It's not about the boss. It's not about the laborers. It's about
all of us working together to figure it out
And that's what I saw.
and that's what I saw as a
And that's what I saw as all this.
And that's what I saw as all this was being negotiated. So
I want to thank Alderman Rodriguez for all of his work. It is
tough work. We are watching it all here at council. I want
to thank Alderman Ervin as well as Alderman Riley
because we are trying to get it all right, and I think in
the spirit of compromise and negotiation, we will. We have
to do this. We are a city of workers. We want to make sure
everybody in Chicago gets the same benefits we do. And
anything that doesn't do that falls short of the mission. So
I thank you all for being here. I know everyone wants to
get off and go watch the Bears game but some people working
right now are not going to be able to anyway, and we need to
keep that in mind also. Thank you Mr. President. Thank
you.
the chair recognizes alderman
The chair recognizes Alderman Villegas.
Thank you Mr. Chairman. PTO
paid time off
very important
investing in the mental wellness of workers
Small businesses are the backbone of this country.
Close to 100,000 small businesses that have licenses in
City of Chicago, 80% of them are small businesses. So I wanted
to make sure that we're working through the
compromise that we were taking a look at those businesses
from 1 to 50 because of the fact that some of these
business don't have the luxury of having a comptroller.
a finance department, accounting section
A lot of
a lot of times that CEO is the accounting person, finance
person
so
So I think it's important to have those folks exempt as
relates to the accrual.
Office of labor standards will present to a joint committee
on Workforce Development and economic capital technology
development to take a look at the workers impact but I
thought it was important I spoke to Chairman Rodriguez about
making sure that we have the business impact as well. You
want to make sure that the business is within the city of
Chicago are thriving and that they understand that we're on
your side.
in the
In the last six months, we've introduced legislation that
helps workers.
which we agree on.
we
We also need to take a look at making sure that we're
helping businesses as well.
The city of Chicago does not, the city government of Chicago
does not manufacture or sell widgets.
We need to make sure that as we're introducing legislation
that we're taking into consideration those companies that
ultimately employ people and making it easier for them to
do business in the city of Chicago.
I'm
I remember talking to a bureaucrat on the previous
administration that said well businesses want
to do business in Chicago because we're the third largest city.
I said it, so we're not.
So we can do both, making sure that we're taking care of the
workers. We also need to make sure that were taking care of
businesses. Again, they're the backbone of this country.
the
BACP and OLS are going to introduce and propagate some rules
around this and we got a commitment from both the
commissioner of BACP and the OLS director that the
propagation of the rules will be done in a manner that's
very transparent.
Because propogation of rules is very important in making
sure that the intent of the legislation is carried out, but
also we have an opportunity to take into consideration the
policies that positively impact both workers and business.
I am also looking forward to the debate in the Workforce
Development around the cure period.
I'm
And I want to thank all those chambers that
reached out and also the working groups and unions that
that talk about this cure period. I know there's a little bit
little bit of a debate on that. But as one of my colleagues
mention earlier when both parties leave the table upset,
that means that there is a pretty good deal. So I
think that there is some room for compromise and looking
forward to supporting this ordinance today, but then also
talking having a debate in the Workforce Development
to either support my colleague from the 28th ward or 42nd
version around cure to make sure that again
we're sending the signal that Chicago's open for business.
Thank you Mr.President. Thank you very much, the chair recognizes
Alder Rodriguez Sanchez.
Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank all of the grass
roots and labor organizations, Raise the floor, Latino Union
Chicago Federation of Labor, Arrise Chicago, Women Employed, and everyone who works
so hard to get to a compromise on this ordinance. I also
want to thank chairs Rodriguez, Ramirez Rosa. Thank you mayor and and
everyone else that helped get us to this point.
I want to speak in support of this ordinance and encourage
my colleagues to vote for it because it's urgent and
Chicago's workers deserve so much better.
First I'm going to say that I have some businesses in my ward
that were worried about this ordinance. One of them
is owned by wonderful people who I know treat their workers
with the utmost respect and they have their own paid time
off policy in place. And I'm so proud to have businesses
like those in my ward and I wish that was the case across
the board that this didn't need to be regulated. The sad
reality is that that is not the case. CBS News reported
earlier this year that nearly 24,000 workers in Illinois
file claim for wastebasket between January 2017 and October
2022. The total amount in claims was 194 million and this
is the people that actually filed claims because we know that
most work
Most workers probably are not going to file those
claims. The people most impacted are black
and brown women and the amount at the national level is
fifty billion dollars in wage theft in claims. So many
workers can take care of basic things in life, celebrate
important moments with their families, take care of
themselves or their families because of lack of paid time
off. In this context, it's very important that we do everything
that we can have policymakers to guarantee the rights of
workers with dignified life where they can take much needed
time to tend to their lives outside of work in Chicago. We
have to be moving the agenda for improving workers people's
life forward, but we know in general in this country we are
running behind
This agreement was reached in negotiations with the
business community for months and it's a compromise from
the original 15 days. I truly believe this will provide a
better quality of life for workers, which in turn will make
that work more sustainable and make for a healthier
society.
again, I want to
Again, I want to thank everyone who worked to getting us to
this place and I hope my colleagues will support this
ordinance so we get it through the finish line
today. Thank you Mr. President. Thank you, the chair recognizes Alderwoman Lee.
Thank you mr. President.
You know not all that long ago I talked about the
businesses in Chinatown. The small businesses and
restaurants that are the lifeblood and backbone of my ward and
not unlike the rest of the city. So this is yet another
piece of legislation that took a lot of thought and
conversation.
I'm also a single mom, two boys of aging parents. I'm a cancer
survivor. I've had the ability to take time off from my
job. Any job that I've had actually my professional career
to be able to do that in some very important and after
what we all experienced in covid
And what we know and as I know as a manager, I don't want my
workers to come in sick because it'll take everybody out and
then there'll be no services in the ward, but that's the
same thing that we need to be able to have and all of our
business and to be sure
there's going to be a
There's going to be an impact and a change period in all of
this, you know, I want to acknowledge that I'm really happy
that there was compromise that was made in particular for
small businesses with less than 50 employees, that will help
tremendously and I appreciate being a part of this
conversation around the Cure period as well and I think given the
fact that we've got a year we got time to do right by
businesses in that way. Change has to come and that's where
we are.
I'm going to argue for a moment that this change has been a
long time coming and that's going to be hard for people
because we just didn't have it before it is a bold piece of
legislation that were voting on today and we have to
we have to take a second to acknowledge that you know, if
we were I have also have businesses that already take care
of their employees. They have their own paid time off,
but it's not everybody and this is something that folks
should have and we want the businesses to still be around
to provide these jobs.
I think we as a council have to work hard to make sure that
we're doing everything that we can to make sure that this
transition is something that they can handle and provide
the right tools, and then I think we also have to work as a
council to make sure we're supporting small businesses in
other ways. We can do that. That's our job, and if there's
something that we need to discuss further about providing
more tools her folks we've got time to do that. So with that Mr.
President, I will be voting yes today. Thank you. Thank you, the chair
recognizes
chair recognizes Alderman Ervin.
thank
Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank my colleagues on
the 22nd Ward to be able to work through some of the
challenges of differences that existed. Also want to thank
my colleagues of the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus too for
expressing some concerns around issues of small businesses
Today as they said the legislation is not what we
started, however, I think it's something that most can live
with what. One thing I do want to talk about is how
we must work to address the issues of poverty in this city,
believe it or not I think Alderman Vasquez talked about this
about people's ability to have some time for relief, but
also have some time to deal with the other things that are
happening not only in their life
but their children's lives. You look at some of the root
challenges that we face and the absences of
adult or role model figures. He's right. Folks are at
work. You come back. You see what's happening at home. I
had a friend people work from they worked afternoon
shift so that was a party house. He worked at 3 to 11
shift, knew you had to be out by then, so you can go there
after school and hang out.
But again, I think that people having a good time to
reflect that we have the sick time, now the paid time off
again, we have to tackle these concerns around the issue of
poverty in the city because a rising tide can lift
all boats and I won't use my phrase today I'll save
that one for for Wednesday, but none the less I think this
is a piece of legislation that will help our
communities, help those in poverty. If you look at the lowest
quartile in the city, 85% of those people look like me.
They look like me. And so we have a job and an obligation to
help those who are in a position that will require them to
be able to do more with their families, do other things its
100% of what anybody likes I don't think that's the case
and I'm glad Alderman Riley and I both
introduced legislation to help do a little more with this
but again, and we have to think about not only those on the
Gold Coast, but we got to think about those on the soul
coast. Thank you Mr. President.
Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderwoman Dowell.
Thank you.
Thank you Mr. President. As you know this past Sunday
while visiting 4 churches in my ward, I saw the
enthusiasm of the congregations when PTO was mentioned. That
resonated with me because I know that every worker needs to
take a little time off to refresh and regroup without the
fear of losing income. I had however to weigh this
enthusiasm against the concerns of many small businesses
and micro businesses and independent businesses that have
reached out to me with concerns of what they view as an
extremely complicated and potentially expensive paid leave
policy. I've heard from restaurants, professional offices,
a cleaners, a daycare owner, and Chambers of Commerce in my
ward.
Many believe that the legislation we seek to pass today
along with the new minimum wage requirement, the ending of
the tip credit, will prove to be crippling to their
businesses, especially as most have barely recovered from
the pandemic and continue to face rising costs associated
with inflation, increased rent, labor shortages, cost of goods
repayment of loans that people have taken out during the
pandemic
and increasing
And increasing insurance rates, these are businesses that
already have a low-margin. Well, I want to work to ensure
that employees get the time off that they deserve. The time
off issue is non-existent if we enact policies that force these
businesses to close
I want to acknowledge the compromises that have been
already made. I want to thank Chairman Rodriguez or his
willingness to consider a much-needed amendment. I want to
thank Alderman Riley and Alderman Ervin for putting forth
something that we can discuss and chew on. I do not come in
here today planning to vote yes, but I do feel that I will
be voting yes because the legislation will take a
moment to make some modifications to address the issues
raised by many businesses in my community.
I'm always looking for a win-win.
Especially when compromise is necessary and this should be
a win-win for both the employers and the employees.
I'll
I look forward to the committee discussions. Thank you.
Thank you. The chair recognizes Alder Gutierrez.
thank
Thank you so much Chairman. Esteemed colleauges, I rise in support of
the paid leave and paid sick leave ordinance. Today, I stand
before you as the Alderman of the 14 Ward and the vice
chair of the workforce and development committee.
But
Before I had the formal responsibilities of a public
servant, I was an immigrant who faced many of the same
challenges that are hardworking communities face.
One of the first jobs that I had in this country was working
at a local restaurant. It was very fast paced. I was part
of the line team and felt like I couldn't miss a day of work.
Sadly, those are the jobs immigrants have access to.
One morning
I could barely talk and I had a very bad throat infection.
I was in a lot of pain and I knew I had to go see a doctor
because I clearly
I knew I had a fever
I knew that if I miss work, I could be reprimanded and
maybe been fired for not being a team player.
I went to work that day and fortunately I was able to get
through the day without a more severe escalation, but I
know that the same story happened to many of the residents
that I represent here today.
I hope that nobody has to make that horrible decision
before going into work.
I would also want to share another story.
when I
When I was running for this position, I was knocking on
doors and a mom of 4 told me something that I would
never forget. When you are elected, please introduce
legislation that would help us and vote for what is right.
and
And always please advocate for working people.
and
And that is why I passionately support the paid leave
ordinance in a ward where the working-class many of whom
are immigrants form the backbone. This measure is not
just policy, it's a lifeline.
No one should face impossible choice between health, family
time and wages. This ordinance is our commitment to
justice, fairness, and compassion. As an immigrant myself I have
experienced the struggles firsthand. This is our chance to
stand united, to invest in the wellbeing and
prosperity of every resident in our beloved city of Chicago.
and
[Spanish Dialouge]
I have 1 more individual on the floor who wishes to speak
if there are any other alders that wish to speak to this
Thank you.
are
Are there others? Chair recognizes Alderman
Lopez.
You want him to go in front of you. No you were
already marked. The chair recognizes Alderman
Lopez and then after Alderman Lopez, Alderman Manaa Hoppenworth, and then I have
Alderman Moore. If there are others you
could raise your hand now. Otherwise, Alderman Moore.
Okay, I got you and then Mitts. The chair recognizes
Alderman Lopez.
Thank you Mr.President and good afternoon members of the
city council.
this body
in the
in this historic chamber is a many great things to help
workers.
when
When I think back of the discussions we've had in 2019 I
believe is when we passed Fair Work Week. In 2021 if I'm not mistaked
is when we pushed for an increase in the minimum wage.
as well as paid sick time
and even this year
2023
one Fair wage
victories all
for working Chicagoans
I wish.
I could join my colleagues again
for
another victory
but I
But I have great concerns Mr.President.
I
have great concerns
when our rationale for moving forward is simply that's the
way it goes.
I am
I have 600 license businesses in my ward employing
thousands of people locally in the 15th Ward.
Not to mention the thousands more who go to every one of
your wards to work.
it
It is not lost on me Mr. President.
that for all the rhetoric that I keep hearing of black and brown
that I actually represent those African-American and Latino
communities, those workers that so many of those higher end
businesses and Mom and Pop businesses too rely on.
when
When I think of what goes on in the history of the back of
the yard, the businesses that are in the back of the yards, as
well as the businesses that are in Brighton Park, Gage Park,
Chicago Lawn, West Englewood, Canaryville
all points in between and all points connecting.
Businesses have been asked to do a lot
and
And that was all relatively speaking before
Covid-19 when the pandemic shut down our economy in a way
nobody could plan for.
Despite help from the federal government we never helped
our businesses in this city the way we could have. We didn't
help the restaurant industry or any of the other service
industries where a vast majority of those working today asking
for help work.
all
All I have to do is look back in our recovery plan and see
every great thing that was discussed but never acted upon.
on
and
hundreds of millions of dollars opposed suggested but never
spent
and yet those businesses somehow somehow in my ward as in
many of the wards here still somehow managed to survive.
Still managed to try and keep people employed still tried to
keep the lights on
And pay their employees often at the expense of their own
families.
Because Mr.President most of those businesses as my
colleagues have said aren't.
multimillion-dollar conglomerations.
they're
They're the corner store.
The Tamale Place
the little family-owned restaurant or taqueria that
barely has employees but enough customers to pay for their
employees salary let alone everything required to keep
business moving.
They've taken hit after hit, done everything we've asked
them to do.
and now
have a
having seen paid time off at the state level
barely
Barely giving them time to prepare for next year we are
going to add this at the eleventh hour.
Yeah.
Yes, I've been approached by business Citywide level. I've
been approached by labor at the Citywide level. What matters
most to me is what's going to impact my residents and my
residents their businesses and their futures have all told
me that they've tried to keep up but cannot do it.
One of my colleagues said actually a few of my colleagues
have said today.
It's great to put forward all of these plusses
for workers, but if you have no business to hire
them there's no job associated with that.
One business in particular comes to mind in the back of the
yards.
It's already told me
That they already had to decrease hours and lay people off
as a result of the state's paid time off because the
customers that they approach for their services are
unwilling to pay for the increase in costs associated with
what the state has asked them.
They haven't even factored in what the cost of what we are
proposing will do both to the customers who pay and to
the employees that they hire.
And I think we forget that point often in this chamber, Mr.
President.
the
The impact that business has seen
over the last few years.
the US Chamber of Commerce said in 2022, 50% half
of all small businesses in our city
have fallen victim to shoplifting at least once in the last
in that year causing pricing to be adjusted 46% to cover
the loss.
That is just simply for shoplifting.
That doesn't take into account anything labor-related
and
And it absolutely does not take into account what I've
referenced before many times in this room is the cost of
delay
the
The hidden tax that exist when this building is slow to act
on the needs of business.
18 months to get a permit. 18 months to get answers. 18
months to get resolution for a small family operated
business
is unsustainable.
Nobody can shoulder the weight
of the weight
and now we're asking for even more from them.
I would gladly have supported if we'd given more time to
work through some of the kinks that we've seen in this
ordinance.
I can hope that this gets corrected down the road, but I
shouldn't have to hope for the future when I have something
right in front of me now that could address our concerns.
Mr. President
our workers deserve everything we can do to help them.
We have to treat it be fair and balanced approach to doing
it and that is not what we're seeing. It's not what we're
going to expect and I hate to come back 6 months from now
and tell you that there's been a decrease in businesses
because of what we've done.
I am not a border ward.
but I
am a ward where businesses are struggling, where
businesses are hurting, where businesses are still trying to
employ people because it is both a service and a job
creation that's driving our economy in the southwest side.
And if we do anything the tip said scale in the wrong
direction, it will be the workers to pay the price and it
will be us will be at fault. Thank you. Mr. President.
Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Manaa-Hoppenworth.
thank
Thank you mister president.
I'm the daughter of Filipino immigrants nurses born in the
10th Ward and I was grateful that they were able to take
time off to bring me to the Roses dance studio in Calumet
City.
I'm also grateful that as a physical therapist working at
Cook County Hospital the year when my son was born I was able
to take paid time off as well.
I am a business owner, 24 years in Andersonville and
if
If you've never been there, it's only about two or three
blocks long.
But people from all over
find it as a destination, they walk there, they take transit
They drive and they do it because it's it's a very
unique part of the city and I think all of our neighborhood
should feel like that too. Ours feels like that because of the
small businesses that are on that business corridor because
they're unique
and I
And I also think about Asian Argyle which is in uptown,
which is part of my ward.
we
Where folks are struggling right now, they're small
businesses because of everything we had already mentioned
the pandemic, but also the reconstruction of the redline is
happening there too.
what I want to say is
As a new person, I've never seen legislation like this
change so much in such a short of time. So I want to thank
the chair for your work on that for working with unions and
every single person who has spoken on this issue to this
date. Also want to thank
Chair Ervin and also Alderman Riley for speaking
on behalf of how we are all going to do better if we all do
better
and
And I say this because this is not going to be easy
for the small businesses
in my ward or elsewhere
but I have
But I have confidence because we have the resources here to
help.
I didn't.
I didn't know that you are committed to that we're doing
this because we don't want to leave anyone behind and that
includes
our small businesses who also deserve healthy workspaces.
every
Everyone deserves time off.
and
And you shouldn't feel like you have to come to work even
if you're sick because you think that you're going to lose
your job.
So as I stand in support of this ordinance I'm thinking of
also the Filipino domestic healthcare workers many of whom
work in the tall buildings in Edgewater.
And I'm thinking about my mother also rest in peace who
worked really hard but who was there for me to take me to
dance class and also to my performances because of paid
time off.
and I
And I'm also thinking of my own workers and my small
business
who need time off to take care of themselves they deserve
that too.
and
And once again, I want to thank everyone here for your
support. We have to make it right we have to make it
better. This isn't the end. I hope it's the beginning
of better times for us in Chicago
and a better
a better environment for all of us to work. Thank you.
Thank you. The chair recognizes Alderman Moore.
Thank you Mr.President. Let me start by saying I was on
the front lines when we did $15 minimum wage.
I was at the head of the line for paid sick leave.
and
And definitely fighting for one Fair wage.
But bring home Chicago
got me to a point
where
Where I went out and I even listen more than I even
normally do and I got people's voices who were not
normally heard
when I was leaning toward no that converted me to a yes
because I heard them.
I listened and I heard them.
Let me start by saying, I totally concur with a lot of things that Chairman Dowell
said especially when she said when she was at the churches
and then they mention paid time off and people got excited.
I did that to a couple of my businesses, small business
and they got excited they say, yeah, they deserve it. Then
I went into the details, they say 'Oh wait', but you didn't go to the details with
the churches.
They said oh wait that's going to kill me. I said
wait haven't you all been at the table and let me go back
because after I
was [inaudible] as paid sick leave
It was so much going on, I was tired. I went to go
walk along the River Front downtown, the Riverwalk and those
restaurants and I just start talking to different
waitresses as I sat down and ate and went to some other
restaurant and I said, how do you feel about
the
The One Fair Wage for tip workers. They said huh what are you talkin about
They say we don't care we don't care. I said wait, you
don't know what's going on. We don't care.
Then I went to my neighborhood and asked some of them, we
don't care. I was like wait what was the concern at? I voted for it still
because I believe you been and I stood with it.
But what I had to do is go and listen to those small
businesses in my ward and listen to them tell me
David this going to be tough for me. But what bothers
me even more is that they didn't have a clear seat at the
table for us to come to a compromise until very late.
see everybody
See everybody thinking when we talked about that stuff
They think we're just about the wealthy, or major
restaurants.
let
Let me tell you.
The downtown restaurants may catch cold when this happened
but those communities in Inglewood and Gresham the
few that we have are going to catch the flu and die
and so because number one their voices were not heard you
had
As Alderman Dowell said
daycare workers daycare operators everybody has concerns
about this and the fact that we still trying to put
substitutes and say we'll talk about that later. I wish a
woman would tell a guy you can give me a ring later and
marry me now. That's what that sounds like.
That's why.
That's what that sounds like when I said, hey, let's throw
out
The right to the right to action, let's let's let's put in
there giving him 6 months to a year now we can't do it.
And everyone talk about, we'll we were at 15 days and we
compromise. I said again, like I said last night everybody
start out high, that's negotiation, that's what you do.
Nobody's and when you get to this thing is I got to hear
people on both sides say I still don't want this man y'all
didn't do that. I'm not hearing that. I won't sleep at night
if I vote yes because of those small businesses in
Englewood and in Auburn Gresham whose voices were not clearly
at the table on this so I'm always going to stand for
working people, but I also want people to work and if Mr.
Brewer who hires two people says David, I may be out of
business. I got to listen to that because guess what
nobody's going to be down here screaming trying to get
those two people that's out of work back to work. And so I
have to stand up for them even when we talk about
McDonald's.
in
essence, everybody think McDonald's just corporate
McDonald's
a lot of
A lot of our black McDonald operators they operate a small
businesses. Each separate restaurant that they
own they give out scholarships to our children, they do so
much in giving back to the community.
They feel their voices wasn't heard. So it's not about you
Just voting yes or no. It's about making sure everybody voices
are heard equitably and that did not happen. So I have to
stand up for them as I stand up for the working people so I
can make sure that they continue to have a place to work
and until Englewood and Auburn Gresham is looking like
downtown because that's my thing build build build build.
Then I can get on board and when my when my business is
saying hey, we're doing well so we can just catch a cold
and we won't catch a flu. So as it right now, I cannot
support this. I wish we could have made those changes
and it's clear everybody trying to make a change. All you
had to do was do it.
And that's what would have been fair. Thank you Mr.
President. Thank you very much. Those are all the
Council members that have expressd to speak. There are a few
more of our alders have requested to participate in today's
meeting remotely for reasons stated in rule 59
And those alders are Knudson, Fuentes, Mitts, Burnett
and Cruz.
Can I get a motion? Alright, so there's a motion that has been
moved for the Alders Knudson, Fuentes, Mitts, Burnett and
Cruz to participate remotely. All those in favor of the
motion signify by saying I, all those opposed say no. In the
opinion of the chair, the eyes have it.
Alder Rodriguez
Thank you so much for the conversation. Looking forward to
the work ahead of us. Mr President. I call I called the
question.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. There's a there's a motion for the
passage of the item by a roll call vote.
Members, please use your E-Vote application to record your
vote at this time.
Okay. The Voting is now open. Please hit refresh and mark
your vote.
Okay, I will now call on those who have not yet cast their
vote. Alderman Hopkins? No. Alderman Hopkins is a no. Alderwoman
Coleman?
Alderwoman Coleman?
Alderman Curtis?
Yes.
Alderman Curtis is a yes.
Alderwoman Taylor?
Yes. Alderwoman Taylor is a yes.
Alderwoman Tabares? No. Alderwoman Tabares is a no.
Alderwoman Scott?
Oh, you're on there I'm sorry. Alderperson Fuentes?
Yes. Alderperson Fuentes is a yes.
Alderman Burnett?
Yes. Alderman Burnett is a yes.
Alderman Taliaferro? Yes. Alderman Taliaferro is a yes.
Alderperson Rodriguez Sanchez? Yes. Alderperson Rodriguez
Sanchez is a yes. Alderwoman Mitts? Yes. Alderwoman Mitts is a yes.
Alderman Napolitano? No. Alderman Napolitano is a no
Alderman Knudson. Yes. Alderman Knutson is a yes.
Alderman Lawson? No. Alderman Lawson is a no.
Alderman Gardiner?
Alderwoman Coleman?
Yes.
Alderman Coleman is a yes.
Alderman Gardiner?
Voting is now closed.
there
There are 36 yays and 12 nays. This matter has passed.
Thank you. Alderwoman Harris on a motion to reconsider.
I move to reconsider the vote. All those in favor of the
motion to reconsider signify by saying I, all those
opposed say no. This motion fails.
Alderman Mitchell, are you aware of any further unfinished
business. I am aware of one item of Unfinished
Business
Oh no.
No. No, it's been a minute. Are you sure?
We have miscellaneous business. Unfinished business? I'm not
aware of any unfinished business. Thank you there is no more
further business. On miscellaneous business the chair
recognizes Alderman Mitchell. Except for the ordinance setting the
date and time of the next meeting, I am not aware of any
miscellaneous business. Very good, for the date and time for
the next meeting Alderman Mitchell. I've handed up an
ordinance to the clerk stating the date and time of the next
meeting. Thank you very much. Clerk, can you please read
the ordinance? Be it ordained by the city council city Chicago
the next regular meeting of the city council the city of
Chicago, the next meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 15th, 2023
beginning at 10 a.m in the council chamber on the second
floor in City Hall 121 North LaSalle Street, Chicago,
Illinois. This ordinance will take effect and be enforced
from and after its passage signed Gregory Mitchell Alderman
7th Ward. Alderman Mithchell? I move passage in the omnibus. Hearing no objections, so ordered. The chair recognizes
Alderman Lopez.
thank
Thank you Mr.President before we-. Hold on just a second
the meeting is not adjourned.
Please we're almost there. Alderman Lopez. Thank you Mr.
President, before we adjourn I want to take a moment to
recognize and silence the life of Sharon Munson in the
sergeant-at-arms office who passed away in on the third
floor unexpectedly.
Please thank you Alderman Lopez for a moment of silence.
Alderwoman Harris's expressed that we've already done it, but
if we just go just for a moment a moment of silence.
Thank you for the Omnibus. Alderman Mitchell? Matters in the the Omnibus
be passed by the voice vote. All those in favor of
passing the omnibus say I. Any opposed say nay. In the opinon of the chair, the
I's have it. Matters of the omnibus has passed. Alderman
Mitchell on a motion to adjourn. There being no further
business with this body I move that we adjourn. Hearing no
objections, so ordered. The meeting is adjourned.