Transcript: Mayor Mamdani Secures Nearly $2M in Restitution for 800+ Fast-Food and Retail Workers
Zohran Mamdani on NYC Mayor's Office transcripts.
Passages
Welcome everyone. We're at the City Hall. We're at the combination City Hall and Taco Bell. And I'm here today with our incredible Commissioner Levine of DCWP to announce some very exciting news. What do we have to tell people today?
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source How much money are we talking about that you're announcing in settlement today?
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So now before we get a little bit more into this, I think it's only fair that we should try some of the food on offer at City Hall's first ever mukbang. Here we are. Where are you going to start?
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Yes. Thank you to you as well. So, commissioner, can you take us through. We're talking about $1.8 million. And this is for what kind of violations took [that] place?
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source And so, you're saying that at these Dunkin' Donuts and Taco Bell franchise locations from this one particular franchise owner, these were the rights getting violated.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I think one of the things that to me is one of the more beautiful parts of this settlement is that it all starts with one worker. One worker making a complaint about the violation of Fair Workweek Laws is what leads to more than 800 workers receiving. Some of them will receive, I think, as you said, more than $10,000.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source 311 — you can call. And the point of this is that if you take this step, it makes our city a fairer city, a more just city. And look, I've been asking the commissioner tons of questions, but we also want to actually hear questions from you. So please, whatever questions you have, throw them in the chat. We'd love to hear them. The commissioner is going to be reading them out. In the meantime, I will just fill our time with eating as much Crunchwrap Supreme as possible. And then maybe time for a munchkin.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I think, first and foremost, we want to use every single avenue we have to share this with New Yorkers. A right is only as good as your knowledge of it and your ability to actually exercise it. And so, whether that means live streaming, whether that means speaking directly to you as New Yorkers, or it also means ensuring that DCWP has the support from City government to be taking this case to any employer that's violating the law. What else would you add, commissioner?
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I think one of the other things is we are a city where people work very hard, and in many ways, we've glamorized the hustle. And there are workers in this city who think that they do have to close at 11 and come at 6. I think it's important to say that we love working hard in this city, and also, we love respecting workers' rights in this city. And so, the kinds of rights that we're talking about, beyond the clopening, are there other things that you think New Yorkers should know that they are entitled to as workers in this city? And is it only for fast food workers? Are there also benefits or protections for retail workers?
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Call 311. Let the city know, because it is thanks to your complaints, your sharing of these violations with us that currently DCWP is averaging winning more than $100,000 a day in this administration to put back into workers pockets. We're talking about more than $8.5 million. And more than any amount of fines, frankly, what we want to see in this city is compliance. We want there to be a job that a worker can go to where they know that their rights will be respected. And yet we know that for far too long in this city, there's been a sense of impunity amongst employers who are violating these laws, knowing that they won't ever be held to account for it. And so today is not just an announcement of a settlement. It's also an announcement of additional enforcement. Commissioner, can you share a little to that?
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I'll be honest, the clopening is one that I think many do not know. Even the term is not widely known. What are some others that you think?
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I remember at the press conference where we were announcing this, you spoke about the fact that life happens. You should not be terrified living in New York City about what you will be able to do when an accident takes place, when an emergency happens in your life. You should know that you'll actually be able to take care of those that you love, take care of yourself and not have to worry about putting your job in jeopardy. And so, these are some of these protections. And too often, there are workers who are either not informed of these protections, or it is made clear to them that were they to use these protections, they would face retaliation. And that is illegal under the law here in New York City. And we don't just pass laws and sign them. We also enforce them. And that's — today, so much of what we're talking about is this announcement of more than $1.8 million and then the enforcement of taking an additional franchise owner to court for these violations. And the thing that is also so exciting about this is we want this to be easy for workers. So, growing up in New York City, when you take the train, you'll always see those ads of “you may be eligible for a settlement apply here and fill your information out here.” We're not putting the burden on workers to fill that out. We are using direct deposit. This $1.8 million, if you have your accounts on file, you will have that money deposited right into your account. And if you don't have it on file, you're going to be sent a check by the City of New York. And that to me is also what makes this something that we can ensure that the same workers who were having their rights violated are the same ones who benefit from this kind of a settlement.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source That’s also a protection you have. You can like sour cream and not get fired.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source And that's in part from a franchise owner of Dunkin' Donuts and Taco Bell and in part from theory locations here in Manhattan.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Well, thank you very much. I think we are living in the most expensive city in the United States of America. And there are too many workers who are working back-breaking shifts and not even knowing if they're going to get what they're owed. And sometimes what they're owed is quite literally money. I mean, we've taken action against employers who have withheld salaries, who have also withheld tips, but also what they're owed means protections as well. We are talking about people who have been put through the kinds of shifts that there's just no way they could sustain themselves having to work them every single day and also having to drop everything that they're planning in their own lives to make it back to their workplace at the drop of a hat. And so, this is about making it a more affordable city because workers will actually get what they're owed in terms of the money. It's also about making it a more affordable city by ensuring that workers know when they put in a hard day's work that they will actually be able to get what they're owed at the end of it and be able to enjoy the city that they're helping to run, frankly.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source And I think that when we allow for impunity from some bad actors, it also hurts the business owners who are operating within compliance because then they ask themselves, why am I going through all of these extra steps? Why am I running a retail store where I'm giving 72 hours of notice? Or why am I running a fast food enterprise giving, what is it —14 days of notice when I can look across the street and there is yet another location of a large franchise owner that is just telling people an hour before, a day before [or] two days before. It just breeds a larger sense of impunity and a sense of why follow the rules if no one's going to enforce them when it comes to the protection of workers. And that's what we're doing here is not just helping workers, [but] also helping — frankly, there are many Taco Bells [and] Dunkin' Donuts that are owned mom-and-pop, small level, even at a franchise level, larger scale, that are following the rules. That's what we need to be seeing more of in New York City because these are great. Like eight to now, [but] as I'm getting through it, I would say even closer to a nine out of ten. I'm very excited.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source And I think the other thing is you have — there's a role that you can also play. If you're watching this, send this to whomever you know, if there's someone, you know, that works in a fast-food restaurant [and] that works at a retail place, send them this so that they know their rights. They know that if they complain about a violation, this is a city that's going to take it seriously. And we're going to use every single avenue because for too long, we've relied on the most traditional kinds of outreach to reach people who are working the least traditional kinds of jobs on the least traditional kinds of hours. It's time to actually reach people the way that they're living their lives. Hopefully that's reaching you on stream, but this is only the beginning of what we're doing.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source And also, if you're just tuning in, hit us with any questions you have.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source If you don't, we're going to keep drinking Baja Blasts, eating Mexican pizzas, heading over to the munchkins, [and] asking ourselves why we ate the Crunchwrap so quickly. I ate the Crunchwrap incredibly quickly. [Crosstalk.]
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source We're just going to go find Sherif. This is work that is critical to our city. And it's critical because it gives meaning to the rights that we're so proud that workers have in this city. And so, as those of you who follow the budget process, we've had a preliminary budget. We have an executive budget that we are working on, and we'll be releasing [it] over the course of, you know, a little over a month from now. And DCWP and the work that DCWP does [are] critical parts of those conversations. We're excited to have them.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I've memorized this. 830 workers will be receiving checks that range from as little as maybe $50. But there are some who had so many of their protections violated that they will receive around $13,000. And that is just from the settlement that we're announcing today. Now, the enforcement that is going to be pursued against the Dunkin' Donuts franchise owner on Staten Island, [is] about a thousand additional workers. And what we're seeing is a reluctance from that franchise owner to own up to these violations and the necessity, therefore, for DCWP to take them to court to win the kind of settlement that these workers deserve.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source None. That's a trick question. I was initially quite panicked. I had no idea which forms I was supposed to have remembered. No forms, because this money will be sent to you via direct deposit if you have an account on file. And if you don't, the city is going to send you a check. And that's what's so exciting here, is we're trying to break down the barriers that have typically inhibited workers from being able to enjoy not only their rights, but when their rights are violated, the restitution that comes from that.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source And if you have any other ones, send them in the chat. [Crosstalk.]
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source DCWP's remit is to protect consumers and workers across the board in this city. And earlier, someone was asking, how does this impact affordability? It's hard enough to afford to live in the city. Imagine working in the city and then not getting what you're owed. That makes it feel like it's an impossible endeavor to continue to live here. And so, what we're doing is showing any employer that is operating outside the bounds of the law that it's not a question of if, it's a question of when we're going to hold you accountable. Because the time has actually come for workers to be able to live in the city. And part of the way we do that is by actually enforcing their rights and protections. We are now going to head — after having answered many questions — [Crosstalk.]
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Call 311. Go to nyc.gov/workers and tell anyone you know that they can do the same. We want workers to not only feel comfortable but also empowered to report these kinds of violations. It is against the law for you to face any retaliation for making a complaint. I know that many workers are fearful of speaking up, but know that you are protected under the law, and this is an administration that will ensure those protections are actually delivered.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source The end goal here is not lawsuits. The end goal here is compliance. And if it takes lawsuits to get to compliance, we're willing to do that.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I think that's a beautiful question. This is also sadly our last question.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source We don't want this to be a city where people are just gasping for air. We want this to be a city where they can build a life of stability. And so, so much of this is not just about how [we] can protect that which workers already have. It's also about how [we] can ensure that it's easier for workers to live in the city. You know, recently, nurses were on strike in our city. And I went out on the picket line to stand with them a number of times. And there were some articles written about, you know, “Is it typical for a mayor to actually stand with workers on the picket line, should they not adopt more of a position of neutrality?” And I believe we cannot take a position of neutrality when we're looking at workers being priced out of the very city that they have helped to build. We need to do everything we can to ensure that people are being paid wages that they can actually collect and that people are actually able to live off of those wages. And so, in addition to everything we do under DCWP, for example, we're also doing so much more across the breadth of City government. Whether it's universal childcare, where, for the first time in New York City history, we're delivering free childcare for two-year-olds, starting with 2000 spots this year, putting more than $20,000 back in the pockets of working-class parents, so they can build a better life, so they can have that upward mobility. And then, there are many workers whose dream after they've been working at a business is to own their own business. We also are doing incredible work at the Small Business Services of New York City government, where we are launching a loan program where you can apply to actually get your business off the ground. So, for us, it's never enough about just fighting off the violations. We also have to have an affirmative vision, and that's also what excites us each and every day.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source It is incredible. And you have done great work.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source And we are really thankful. Because the city employees, many of whom you all will never get a chance to meet or know their names, they are the magic that keeps the city moving. And it is really a joy to be one part of that administration and to be leading that administration. And this has really been, this has been a great time.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Yes, very, very, very healthy. Don't violate your employees' work hours and protections because we will be forced to come after you and then have a Baja Blast and talk about it. Cheers.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source
Every passage above is taken from this recording: NYC Mayor's Office transcripts, Transcript: Mayor Mamdani Secures Nearly $2M in Restitution for 800+ Fast-Food and Retail Workers.