Ithaca committee hears business and worker groups clash over proposed 'just cause' protections, seeks more data

Ithaca’s special committee on wrongful discharge and labor protections met March 25 to hear competing testimony on whether the city should move away from at‑will employment toward municipal just‑cause protections. Committee Chair Alde(person) Jorge Difundini opened the meeting and said members intended to gather information from a wide set of stakeholders before deciding on policy.

Representatives from the Tompkins Chamber of Commerce, the Tompkins County Worker Center, Cornell’s ILR CoLab and the Cornell Graduate Students United (CGSU, UE Local 300) testified in a meeting that stretched across four hours. Chamber president Peggy Coleman told the committee the Chamber had surveyed local businesses and that many of the metrics the committee requested are not readily available at the city level because data are typically compiled at the county or metro level. Coleman said the Chamber sent a survey that produced 130 business responses and reported totals for those respondents of 4,826 employees (3,093 full‑time, 1,240 part‑time and 493 seasonal), and urged the committee to slow the timetable and consider a neutral, independent study before moving forward with legislation. "When you don't know what the problem is, it's…