Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D. – Mass.) held a roundtable in Mass., on July 20 with members of UFCW Local 1445, fast food, coffee shop, and supermarket workers who support employees’ scheduling rights. Warren’s bill (S 1772) would require that businesses with more than 14 employees grant requested scheduled changes to accommodate a worker’s education or job training, a second-job, a health condition or to care for a child or elder. The bill would also require employers to compensate employees who are on-call, even if they are not called into work and to provide advance notice of work schedules.
“It is the lowest paid workers who have the most chaotic scheduling,” Warren said.
Jeff Goldhaber, a 23-year Stop & Shop employee from Mansfield, Mass., and a member of UFCW Local 1445, said collective bargaining agreements have ensured more stable scheduling by the supermarket company during the roundtable discussion.
Supporters of the legislation said it would curtail a practice where hours vary wildly from week to week and rigid work schedules impede other personal and professional pursuits.