NEW YORK,
NY April 01, 2008 – Labor advocates**
and almost half the City Council support a proposed law adding fair labor
practices to restaurant requirements for licensing and annual re-certification.

Restaurants
would be required to check a box saying they had labor violations over the
prior 5 years. And if they did have violations, they would have to either prove
those were cleared or go through a Health Department hearing.

The
Department says its mission is to prevent food-related illness, not to enforce
labor laws.

Advocates
say research shows restaurants that overwork or under-pay employees are more
likely to have health code violations, but officials say that research is
flawed.

A
restaurant trade group says the proposed law unfairly targets food
establishments for tighter labor enforcement than other retail businesses.

** Including Make the Road New York