Restoring Fair Practices in the Workplace

The Fair Workweek Initiative, anchored by the Center for Popular Democracy and CPD Action, is driving the growing momentum to restore a workweek that enables working families to thrive. We are committed to elevating the voices of working people to ensure they can shape the solutions that work for their families – whether through improved industry practices or new workplace protections.

The last couple of months have been production ones toward building a fair workweek across the country, mobilizing hundreds of hourly workers to take action and generating dozens of news stories.

CPD partner Working Washington’s coalition campaign, Our Time Counts, has continued to move forward and deliver secure schedules to Seattle’s hourly workers. We had an impressive showing at the Starbucks Shareholder Meeting in March, where a Starbucks barista and Working Washington member directly engaged CEO Howard Schultz. The City Council has been conducting a series of stakeholder meetings and has issued an independent study to look at scheduling issues facing Seattle’s hourly workforce.

Later in March, the Fair Workweek Campaign in Emeryville, CA, led by ACCE and EBASE, released the report Wages And Hours: Why Workers in Emeryville’s Service Sector Need a Fair Workweek.

In April, the Opportunity to Work Campaign, a Working Partnerships USA and Silicon Valley Rising initiative in San Jose, released a report uncovering the hidden crisis of underemployment in that city and submitted nearly 35,000 signatures to put a measure on the November 2016 ballot that would give part-time workers to opportunity work more hours.

Weeks later, nine Attorneys General from California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Rhode Island continued New York State Attorney General Schneiderman’s inquiry into the harmful effects of on-call scheduling by announcing a probe into 15 more retailers.

And, meanwhile, DC Jobs with Justice’s Just Hours campaign continues to advance, even inspiring the business opposition to create a front group to spread misinformation about the policy. You can learn more about the campaign at www.dcjusthours.org.

The partners of the Center for Popular Democracy and CPD Action, which include the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), CASA, Make the Road Connecticut, Minnesota Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, Working America, Working Partnerships USA and Working Washington, will continue leading the way in the movement for a fair workweek. You can find out more information on our website and on the Fair Workweek Initiative's dedicated website.

Check out some of the impressive news coverage from across the country below:

CBS News: Workers’ Next Big Fight: Fairer Scheduling

A story that highlights this moment in the movement for a Fair Workweek, featuring the San Jose Opportunity to Work Initiative, the Fair Workweek Initiative, the latest Attorney General probe, Seattle’s Secure Scheduling campaign and Starbucks workers’ latest Shareholder action.

WSJ: Full-Time Hires Buck the Trend at Fast-Food, Retail Chains

A story highlighting the business case for full-time work.

MOTTO from Time: Op-Ed – Part-time Hours Cause Full-time Problems for Working Moms

An Op-Ed just in time for Mother’s Day!

San Jose: Working Partnerships USA and the Silicon Valley Rising submit nearly 35,000 signatures to put the Opportunity to Work Initiative on the November 2016 ballot

SF Chronicle: Silicon Valley part-time workers file petition to work more hours

Silicon Valley Business Journal: Measure to boost part-time worker hours headed for November ballot

ABC 7 News (San Jose): New Initiative Aims To Give San Jose Workers More Hours

San Jose: Working Partnerships USA releases new report on the crisis of underemployment in Silicon Valley

WDTV (CBS News - Clarksburg, West Virginia): Workers, Advocates and Employers Weigh in on Fair Scheduling Practices

Silicon Valley Business Journal: Underemployment a continuing problem for Silicon Valley

Attorney General: CPD and partners move nine Attorney Generals to unite for a new on-call scheduling probe into 15 retailers

The Wall Street Journal broke the story and other major outlets covering were Reuters, Fortune, the LA Times, Baltimore Sun, and Albany Times Union. Most outlets used an Associated Press story. A Working Washington member and CPD’s Carrie Gleason were on national ABC News radio, which broadcasted across the country.

Retail Dive: More states question controversial on-call scheduling

BuzzFeed: States Expand Inquiry Into On-Call Scheduling

Chicago Tribune: Illinois attorney general looking into retailers' on-call shift scheduling

DCist: Karl Racine Joins Attorneys General In 8 States To Investigate Retailers That Use On-Call Schedules

Washington City Paper: D.C. Attorney General Will Investigate Retailers’ On-Call Scheduling Practices

Huffington Post: Popular Mall Stores Accused Of Screwing Over Workers

Seattle: Working Washington member and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz speak on record at the Starbucks Shareholder Meeting

Quartz: The CEO of Starbucks won’t keep promises to his workers, but wants an end to “cynicism”

The Atlantic: What Follows the Fight for $15? After raising its minimum wage, Seattle is turning its attention to on-call scheduling.

Wall Street Journal: Starbucks to Expand Customer Rewards Program Beyond Its Coffee Shops

The Seattle Times: Starbucks CEO put on the spot about workers’ unpredictable work hours

Puget Sound Business Journal: What the hoax email rescheduling the Starbucks annual meeting was really about