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Ithaca council restarts 'just cause' employment process after months of debate; public forums planned
Summary
After more than a year of study, the Ithaca Common Council moved the just-cause working-group memo back onto the calendar for discussion Sept. 17, prompting extended public comment and debate about worker protections, business input and process design.
The Ithaca Common Council on Tuesday took up renewed public debate over a proposed “just cause” employment policy after months of delay, with councilors and dozens of residents urging different next steps. The council’s administration confirmed the working-group memo will be scheduled for discussion on Sept. 17.
Supporters from labor and student groups urged the council to adopt protections that make it harder for employers to fire workers without cause. “Adopt the memo, allow the public to weigh in, and pass just cause employment in the city of Ithaca,” Sam Poole, a Cornell student and member of Cornell Young Democratic Socialists of America, told the council during public comment. Eugene Kim, a member of the Cornell Graduate Student Union, asked the council to hold a vote before local budget negotiations begin: “I urge you guys to hold a vote on the just cause before October and vote yes.” Michael Dimo, an Ithaca resident and retail worker, described how the policy would give nonunion workers recourse against “trumped up” or discriminatory firings.
Business leaders urged more outreach. Peggy Coleman, president of the Tompkins Chamber, said employers were not adequately included in the working group and asked the council to delay action so the business community could provide input. “How is the business community able to be part of the data collection based on this format? You’re missing half of the story,” Coleman said. Several business-oriented speakers warned of administrative burdens and higher costs for small employers.
Council members emphasized process as much as policy. Aldersperson Matos, who served on the working group and brought the memo back to the council, said the memo itself calls for community engagement and public forums where employers can present concerns. “This is simply just the memo. This is not even a call for ... a vote on the proposed legislation,” Matos said, adding that the working group invited Jennifer Traverse from the Chamber to one meeting. Aldersperson Shapiro and others pressed for broader public engagement and for more data about the timeframe behind case counts presented to the group.
Mayor Cantelmo told the council he received the working-group memo Thursday and said the item is on the council calendar for Sept. 17. Matos and other councilors said the memo envisions additional public hearings and community forums before any final ordinance is drafted or adopted.
The discussion highlighted two clear tensions: advocates pressing for fast adoption—some citing student and low‑wage worker vulnerability around the budget cycle—and business and some council members calling for a slower, more inclusive public process that addresses small‑business capacity and data questions. Councilors repeatedly framed next steps as procedural: hosting public forums, gathering employer input, and then returning with draft ordinance language for formal consideration.
The council did not vote on an ordinance or adopt policy language at the meeting; the only formal schedule-related outcome recorded in the meeting transcript was that the working-group memo will be discussed at the Sept. 17 council meeting.
