Retail Workers 'Bill of Rights' Adopted in San Francisco

Most retail workers in San Francisco now will get advance notice of their schedules, call-in pay and opportunities for more work hours under the "Retail Workers Bill of Rights," unanimously passed by the Board of Supervisors. For now, the protections will cover workers in retail stores, restaurants and hotel chains with more than 11 locations.

Retail workers have suffered a lot of abuse as employers look to cut hours and staff by requiring workers to be "on call" but providing little notice as to when they must report to work. Too many employers provide just part-time hours and erratic scheduling. Some workers get less than 24 hours' notice for a shift.

The new law also looks to improve conditions for part-time workers by requiring that employers expand the hours of current workers before adding new employees.

Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), have introduced a bill to help working families nationwide better balance their work lives and other responsibilities. The "Schedules That Work" Act, H.R. 5159, establishes federal guidelines to make sure that employers provide fair, flexible and reliable schedules for workers.

"This bill is all about people and fairness. It includes a 'circuit breaker' for collective bargaining, so that unions can continue to improve on working conditions," Miller said. "It's a way to ensure that workers can earn a decent living and meet family responsibilities," he said.

In many CWA sectors, like passenger service agents, workers, without too much difficulty, can swap shifts in order to make a child's doctor appointment or meet some other obligation. But in most non-union workplaces, like T-Mobile, for example, swapping is banned.

The bill will require employers to provide at least two weeks' notice on schedules and to pay employees if they are sent home before the end of their shifts or if they are called in but not given any work. Workers also would have the right to requires more flexible or predictable schedules.