Mayor de Blasio signs three bills into law on September 28, 2020. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
The bills help provide protections for workers amidst the ongoing pandemic and economic crisis. On September 28, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed three bills into law. This package of bills expands protections for workers, consumers, and commercial tenants by expanding the City’s paid safe and sick leave, extending protection for commercial tenants, and protecting the jobs of hotel workers.
Among the laws, Local Law 97 of 2020, sponsored by City Council Member Andrew Cohen, aligns the City’s Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law with the New York State recently enacted NY Paid Sick Leave Law. The Local Law increases paid safe and sick leave to the employees of small businesses with four or fewer employees that bring in a net income of more than $1 million a year. The law also requires businesses with over 100 employees to provide 56 or more hours of paid sick leave. Lastly, the law helps domestic workers by allowing them to accrue and use paid leave like other private-sector workers. The bill was approved by the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing and approved by the City Council on September 23, 2020. After the bill signing, Council Member Cohen stated, “I’m grateful to Mayor de Blasio, my colleagues at City Council, and DCWP for supporting this legislation to align the City’s law with new changes to paid sick and safe leave laws at the State level, expanding and strengthening worker protections and continuing the work that makes our City a national leader on this issue.”
Local Law 98 of 2020, sponsored by Council Member Carlina Rivera, amends Local Law 55 of 2020, which temporarily prevents the enforcement of personal liability provisions in commercial lease or rental agreements involving tenants impacted by COVID-19. Local Law 98 extends the sunset date of this protection from September 30, 2020, to March 31, 2021. Council Member Rivera advocated for extending the bill to protect small businesses during the middle of a pandemic. The bill was approved by the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing and approved by the City Council on September 23, 2020. In support of the bill, Council Member Rivera stated, “we’re still in the midst of a public health and economic crisis, and it’s critical we continue to protect and uplift the small business[es] who are vital to our communities. No small business owner should have to close their store or risk losing their life savings because their landlord is threatening to enact their personal liability clause in the middle of a pandemic.”
Local Law 99 of 2020, sponsored by Council Member Mark Levine, establishes protections for displaced hotel service workers in the event of a sale or transfer of a hotel. This new law requires new hotel owners to provide employment and maintain wages for a period of 90 days, and after the 90 days period, the new employer would perform an evaluation of workers. Additionally, the new law established consumer protections by requiring notice for service disruption to hotel guests. The bill was approved by the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing and approved by the City Council on September 23, 2020. In support of the bill, Council Member Levine stated, “the terrible blow the hospitality industry has endured in recent months has directly impacted tens of thousands of New Yorkers who rely on this industry for their livelihoods and … who have been out of work since March … When tourist eventually return to our city … it is only fair that hotel workers have a path back to their jobs … This legislation will ensure that a just rebound happens in a way that is fair for workers and fair for guests.”
At the bill signing, Mayor de Blasio stated “Today is about justice for hard-working New Yorkers. From expanding paid sick leave, to protecting our commercial tenants and hotel workers, these bills are crucial to standing my New Yorkers who have worked through the worst of this pandemic and are now helping our city get back on our feet.”
By: Lynsey Smith (Lynsey is the Citylaw Intern and a New York Law School student, Class of 2022.)