Catherwood LibraryILR School

The Philadelphia City Council passed the Fair Workweek bill, which, besides raising the minimum wage to $15 for city workers and those working for city contractors, will institute fair scheduling regulations for those in the service industries. It will become the second biggest city to do so after New York. It will affect approximately 130,000 workers, including unionized workers and hotel workers. Philadelphia would be the only city to pass a “Fair Workweek” law that covers the hotel industry, although the state of Oregon has a similar bill. The scheduling components of the Fair Workweek bill has received opposition from business supporters that say it will hurt tourism and business growth (in contrast, the minimum wage hike has received little protest). The bill will ask employers to pay “predictability pay” to workers for shift changes involving time or location, and to make the rules clear so that employees are aware of their rights. The bill's supporters argue that unpredictable scheduling can keep workers in poverty. Support for the bill has been notable for the combination of labor unions along with groups who support non-union workers.