Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has vetoed the City Council's proposed Labor Standards Board, saying the deal that was approved last week is not fair and balanced.
Frey says such a board can only succeed if businesses participate, and that hundreds of businesses and nearly all major business organizations oppposed the plan and said they won't support it.
Mayor Frey has offered a new proposal that would include a 50/50 split between employees and employers on the board, ensuring both sides are equally heard and represented.
If the mayor’s veto is sustained, he says he will encourage council members to hold a public comment hearing so businesses and workers can provide feedback on his proposal.
The Council voted 9-3 in favor of the proposal a week ago despite protests from the mayor and local businesses. The board would oversee things like wages, benefits and worker safety in the city.
Councilmember Katie Cashman voted for the measure.
"And as this proposal came together, it became clear to me that this was an opportunity for us to come together and drive meaningful change with employers and workers," explained Cashman.
Minneapolis Downtown Council CEO Adam Duininck speaking with WCCO's Jason DeRusha says businesses are rightly concerned.
"They feel like they've done a lot to help get the economy going and get downtown back, doing strong and investing in the city, trying to run their businesses," Duininck explains. "And this is just one more thing. Now, they have to be concerned about overreach and interference with how they run their business. But, even how this policy has been put together and rolled out, it begs some questions. For more engagement, trying to understand the impacts of it to businesses."