Unfair scheduling practices include unpredictable and unstable work schedules, little advance notice of work hours, and a lack of worker control over schedules. Unfair scheduling practices have major destructive consequences for workers. They can hinder a worker’s ability to take on additional work or pursue additional training and education that would put them on a path to obtain family-sustaining wages. It also hinders a worker’s ability to care for family and access childcare, transit, and healthcare.

Unfair scheduling has an outsized impact on low-wage workers in Cleveland. The ranks of low-wage workers in Cleveland are disproportionately people of color. We can and must do better.

Guardians for Fair Work is asking that the City of Cleveland demonstrate the same urgency and commitment to Clevelands’ workers as was on display with the speedy passage of the $117 million subsidy for the Progressive Field renovation.

Cities across the country are playing a leading role in combating unfair scheduling at the local level, including fair scheduling rules for businesses competing for and negotiating government procured contracts of goods and services, incentives, grants, and other local investments.

The purpose of the proposed ordinance is:

To enact and enforce fair and equitable employment scheduling practices
To provide working people with protections that ensure employer scheduling practices do not unreasonably prevent workers from attending to their families, health, education, and other obligations
To require employers needing additional hours, whether temporary or permanent, to offer those hours to current part-time employees

Please heed the call by Guardians for Fair Work and support a fair scheduling policy in 2022.