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City Council Tackling Controversy Of Shopping On Thanksgiving

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - Many people around the world are confronting the issue of working on Thanksgiving. Some believe that stores should just close on the holidays, while others say that if you're going to be open, then your workers should be paid more.

Some people are pledging not to shop on the holidays because if they're out shopping, then the employees aren't enjoying their holidays.

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District 4 Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak is standing up for those employees requesting that stores should close for holidays, but if they must be open then they should get holiday pay.

"The official will of Council said that we oppose the choice to force the employees to work on Thanksgiving and this is the important part, to do so without holiday pay," said Rudiak.

She is sponsoring a bill for the locally owned Capital Grille to not open on Thanksgiving. The Capital Grille employees approached the Council for help because this was their first holiday having to work and without holiday pay. They're joined by the Restaurant Opportunity Center, who are dedicated to working with employers to make them "high-road employers".

If the company reconsiders and will offer holiday pay, does the Council see a problem with that?

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"It's all up to the workers, I stand up for my constituents it's not dictator Natalia, it's something we work together on," said Rudiak. "It's easy to say to quit your job and find a new one, but if you look at the unemployment numbers these jobs mean the world to folks. There were even employees who were scared to come to Council and voice their opinion because they didn't want to lose their jobs."

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