Minneapolis City Council failed to override Minneapolis Mayor Frey’s veto of the Labor Standards Board with an 8-5 vote on Thursday.
While the initial Labor Standards Board would have been enough to override Frey’s veto, the council failed to because of Council Member Robin Wonsley’s (Ward 2) absence and two council members switching their votes.
The council fell one vote short of overriding Frey’s decision. Council members Jamal Osman (Ward 6) and Andrea Jenkins (Ward 8) initially supported the Labor Standards Board in November, but both voted against the board on Thursday.
The proposed Labor Standards Board would have 15 appointed members who would make policy recommendations to advise the city council and mayor on labor regulations, according to a presentation given by several city council members.
City Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai (Ward 10) spearheaded the Labor Standards Board as an improved replacement of the Workplace Advisory Committee that would offer Minneapolis workers, especially those of color, the ability to have an input on city council decisions on economic issues and address employment disparities.
After the city council approved the Labor Standards Board in a 9-3 vote on Nov. 14, over 400 Minneapolis business owners signed a petition criticizing the council’s decision to pass the board without allowing for public comment from business owners. The signees included President and CEO of Minneapolis’s Downtown Council Adam Duininck and representatives of local restaurants like Surly Brewing, The Market at Malcolm Yards and Pizza Lucé.
Frey vetoed the board on Nov. 21 and said in his veto letter that he supports a Labor Standards Board, but the city council’s proposal was unbalanced and unfair without the input of businesses.
Frey pitched a different Labor Standards Board proposal in his letter in which the board would have an equal split of employees and employers represented, an equal number of board member appointments between the mayor and city council and a requirement that all board recommendations must be passed with a supermajority.
Chughtai said in an email statement to the Minnesota Daily that she was disappointed that after two years of work, Frey did not follow through on his commitment to approve the board, but she will continue to fight for Minneapolis workers.
“Mayor Frey and some members of the City Council sent a clear message to workers today, that they are uninterested in their voices, that they do not believe workers in our City should have a seat at the table,” Chughtai said in her email statement.
City Council President Elliott Payne (Ward 1) said in an email statement it was unfortunate that the failure of the Labor Standards Board could have been avoided with the input of workers and businesses to guide the council’s decision process.
Osman said in an email statement that he voted to sustain Frey’s veto to balance pro-worker and pro-small business needs and invites more public discussion to create a balanced board structure.
“I invite my colleagues to open your minds and open your hearts,” Osman said in his email statement. “I do support a Labor Standards Board that is fair and balanced and represents Ward 6 and my East African community. I’ve learned from this vote that only this way can we create a Labor Standards Board that works for Minneapolis.”
