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The [Thursday] Papers"The city had received roughly 500 complaints about nonessential businesses operating in violation of the governor's stay-at-home directive as of Tuesday," the Tribune reports. Five hundred complaints about 500 different businesses? Or 500 people calling about the same five businesses? It makes a difference, because 500 is an awfully large number (to my lights) of nonessential business to be operating, even in a city the size of Chicago. "Last week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called on residents and workers to report such businesses. "Some complaints are for restaurants, bars, yoga studios, hair salons and other inessential businesses, while some are for businesses such as banks and auto shops that are considered essential," said Isaac Reichman, a spokesman for the city's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, in an e-mailed statement. I wonder if it was him or the reporter who couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone. * By the way, the commissioner of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection is Rosa Escareno. She wasn't available? * "Businesses that may not be considered 'essential' could face fines up to $10,000 if they remain open." It's not clear how many fines the city has issued so far, if any, outside of this one: "Bikram Yoga West Loop was issued a violation notice by the city on Friday. The fitness studio, which said it stayed open because it was a place of 'health and wellness,' faces a fine of at least $500." I added the link just to shame them in some small way. Namaste! * "Workers also are encouraged to report employers that are refusing them sick leave, including companies that are essential. Chicago approved an ordinance in 2016 that guarantees workers the ability to accrue five days of paid sick leave each year." * Let's go back now and take a look at the debate surrounding that ordinance. The city council passed it unanimously, but that doesn't mean it was without opposition. Take the Tribune editorial board, for example: The sponsor of the ordinance, Ald. Ameya Pawar, 47th, called the proposal a "baseline of decency." He argues all workers deserve the option of taking a day off, caring for a loved one or dealing with a family emergency without losing a whole day's pay or worrying about their job security. His plan would require workers to earn paid time off - one hour for every 40 hours worked. Limited unused sick time could be rolled into the next 12-month period, but even under the most generous of circumstances a worker would get only seven paid days off total. I'd like to think they'd want a do-over today - as well as on opposing the $15 minimum wage now that so many frontline workers are being hailed as heroes - but I know better than that. * Others who don't look so good right now: "Some business groups, including the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, oppose requiring paid sick leave, saying mounting regulations and costs in the city, from tobacco taxes and the plastic bag ban to minimum wage increases, end up hurting jobs," the Tribune reported at the time. "'There are a number of ways to address paid sick leave, and the city is going about it only one way, which is employer-funded,' Tanya Triche, vice president and general counsel at the retail merchants association, said in an interview." So Triche preferred paid sick leave to be funded by taxpayers? * (Triche reappeared on the issue last month in opposition to a labor coalition's demand that another 10 days be added to the ordinance, saying that "Cooler heads need to prevail here. When the city passed the paid leave law, we took into account what the worst-case scenario could be. Which is, we could be dealing with a pandemic. The discussion was, we should legislate for what was the most common scenario." Am I to understand that the city council contemplated a pandemic when it discussed paid sick leave four years ago?) * Also opposed four years ago: "'By this language, anyone could call in anytime, without notice, claim an illness, legitimate or not,' said Paul Fehribach, chef and co-owner at Big Jones, an Andersonville restaurant with 25 hourly employees who don't get paid sick days." (And appearing last week: "A number of male Chicago restaurateurs have responded mostly positively to the Hospitality Emergency Grant Program and the Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund announced Wednesday, according to the Tribune. Most agreed, however, that the funds aren't enough to salvage the industry and save furloughed workers. They also expressed some concern over low-interest loans such as the Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan and the Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund - Big Jones chef and owner Paul Fehribach said he found the idea of taking on new debt in the midst of a crisis to be short-sighted.") * Also from 2016: In an unusual turn, the Illinois Restaurant Association, which did not testify at the committee hearing, is not opposing the proposed law, though it stopped short of endorsing it. "In general, the Illinois Restaurant Association is not supportive of mandates on business," Sam Toia, president and CEO of the restaurant trade group, wrote in an emailed statement. "However, we are pleased that this ordinance is more business friendly than those adopted in other jurisdictions." But: Some business owners applaud the proposal, saying offering employees good benefits reduces turnover and boosts morale. Dimo's today:
* They make pretty good pies, too. * It turns out that paid sick leave is a relatively puny expense for employers - and maybe even a gain if you consider the damage a sick employee showing up for work can do. I saw some dollar figures this week but can't for the life of me can't find the article I saved about it. * Of course, we're in a different era now. Many more cities (and I believe states) have added paid sick leave policies, and the federal coronavirus relief package includes paid sick leave provisions at least through 2020. - Friday Update: via Politico Playbook . . .
- New on the Beachwood today . . . How Surfers Saved Trestles * NASA At Home * Jonathan Pie On Lockdown, Pt. 3: Tele-Vision - ChicagoReddit Is my landlord allowed to show my apartment? from r/chicago - ChicagoGram - ChicagoTube "MalagueƱa" / Sheng Cai At the Chicago Cultural Center on December 4, 2019. - BeachBook World's Largest Jigsaw Puzzle Celebrates 27 Wonders Of Our Planet. * Who Owns The Copyright To Tattoos? A Court Issues A Landmark Ruling Over LeBron James And Other NBA Stars' Right To License Their Body Art. - TweetWood
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- The Beachwood Q-Tip Line: Who dat. Posted on April 2, 2020 |
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