Policy Agenda Needs Your Input; Duluth Businesses "Breathing Fire" Over Paid Leave Mandate

October 16, 2017

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Students learn about retail career opportunities at the October 4 Retail Rally event.

Local

Business Warm On Sales Tax Vote, Breathing Fire Over Sick Time

From the Duluth News Tribune, Brooks Johnson, October 15, 2017

"Many Duluth businesses are generally OK with the city's proposed half-percent sales tax increase. As for the earned sick and safe time initiative? No way. And now they say something has to give.

"(The) tax is something we are holding off our approval of and may well rise up in opposition to if earned sick and safe time goes through," said David Ross, CEO of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce. "We may well be at the tipping point for some of our businesses."

Next week the earned sick and safe time task force will deliver a recommendation to the Duluth City Council about a potential policy that requires businesses to provide opportunities for paid time off in certain circumstances. Similar council-led initiatives went into effect in Minneapolis and St. Paul this summer.

On. Nov. 7 voters will decide whether to approve a half-percent sales tax hike that would dedicate an estimated $7 million a year to repairing the city's decrepit streets - once the state Legislature also approves the move.

The weeks in between could electrify tensions between corner offices and City Hall.

"On top of everything else, now is not the time for it," said Kristi Stokes, president of the Greater Downtown Council, referring to a new sick time mandate joining water, electric and property tax bill increases. "How much more do you think our businesses can handle with more regulations and costs being piled upon them?"

It's extremely unlikely any sick time mandate would pass between the recommendation and the election. Council President Joel Sipress says there will be a public process like with any other proposed ordinance.

"Of course the council has to incorporate input from all interests within the community," he said. "The experience of other communities that have enacted sick and safe time policies should give us some confidence that we can do it in a way that is workable."

Ross doesn't think so, and is urging Mayor Emily Larson to pull the emergency brake on the initiative. Larson has said as a city councilor and mayoral candidate that she supports sick and safe time policies and last week told the News Tribune she'll let the process play out to see what definitive approach is introduced.

"She's waiting to make an informed decision. That's a good stance," Ross said. "Once she gets that I would hope we could expect a quick response to their specific proposal."

Legislative Breakfast Returns November 3

Join us for November's Legislative Breakfast featuring Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon on Friday, November 3 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Commons on Marice in Eagan.

Secretary of State Simon will discuss election plans including his challenge to Minnesotans to return us to number one in voter turnout in the country, how employers can encourage participation in the democratic process, and the security of Minnesota's election system.

In addition, Secretary of State Simon will discuss Minnesota Business Snapshot-a new initiative he launched last fall to better serve Minnesotans and advance economic development through the availability of customized data on the economic and demographic make-up of Minnesota's business community.

Learn more.

Agenda

Your Issues, Your Agenda--Take Our Five Minute Legislative Issues Survey Now To Add Your Perspective to MnRA's Policy Agenda

Each year before the Minnesota Legislature convenes, the Minnesota Retailers Association (MnRA) formulates a policy agenda designed help elected officials understand how to support your operation and the 788,000 jobs that depend on the success of retail across our state.

Our process for understanding the policy needs of Minnesota's retailers begins with you, today. Please complete our five minute annual legislative survey before October 23.

In addition, consider participating in our October 23 Retail Legislative Policy Summit conference call where we take the information gathered through the survey and combine it with experiences from the past, conversations from the present, and a look at the future as we put MnRA's policy agenda together.

Thank you for adding your voice and perspective to MnRA's annual policy development process.

Take survey.

Jobs

Holiday Hiring: What Seasonal Jobs Are Out There? And Who's Doing Them?

From CBS Minnesota, Heather Brown, October 12, 2017

"Christmas is 74 days away - which means it's prime season for retailers looking for holiday help.

According to the National Retail Federation, stores will bring on up to 550,000 seasonal workers this year.

It's clear from the constant chatter at Ranstad, a recruiting and staffing office in Roseville, October is a busy time of year.

One interviewee was in looking to be forklift operator. Another was hoping for anything that pays well.

"A lot of people do come around this time of year, looking for additional hours to make some more money throughout the holiday season," said Ranstad's Kelley Hagerty.

Most of the seasonal workers take the holiday employment as a second job. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Minnesota retailers hired 10,600 people during the 2016 holidays. Five-thousand others were hired for transportation and warehousing."