The NYC Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor held a virtual hearing on Wednesday, February 23, with City Council members and representatives from unions and workers’ rights organizations, to examine how to bolster worker protection requirements in City contracts, policy mechanisms to combat worker mistreatment and misclassification, and enforcement of workplace standards. Click here to watch the recording. The City and State have passed legislation recently that protects workers and goes after employer violations in construction, agriculture, food delivery, and domestic care, but better enforcement and education is needed on rights and issues in these and other industries.
This hearing featured live public testimony from union members and leaders across New York City, as well as a Q&A with the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs and Worker Protection (DCWP). DCWP is the City agency that investigates consumer and workplace complaints and educates consumers and workers on their rights, including translations. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, DWCP has received over 21,000 inquiries and complaints, and secured $5.5 million in restitution on behalf of 9,000 workers.
