Minneapolis council calls for creation of subcommittee for workplace safety during pandemic

Thursday, Minneapolis City Council called for and approved the creation of a subcommittee to develop recommendations regarding workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the Public Health and Safety Committee meeting, Vice Chair Steve Fletcher called for a staff direction for the Labor Standards Division of the Civil Rights Department to work with the city’s Workplace Advisory Committee to create and support a Downtown Workers Subcommittee.

Fletcher said it was important for the council to prioritize workers’ input to protect their safety as the pandemic progresses.

"It is important that workers have a voice in the workplace to decide our health and safety standards," Gloria Estrada Moreno, a restaurant worker and member with Centro de Trabajadores Unidas en Lucha, said.

The Workplace Advisory Committee is planning to convene the subcommittee in the first week of February.