WORCESTER, Mass. - Two items on Worcester’s agenda this week from the Committee on Municipal and Legislative Operations are proposing rules about tracking city councilors’ attendance and a provision for withholding their pay. Spectrum News 1 spoke with Councilor Morris Bergman who chairs the standing committee.

“We're trying to get the city council in line with where everyone else is that works for a living," Bergman said. "It’s you either show up, or you have to have a medical or military reason for not showing up - or family medical Leave act - otherwise your pay gets docked.”

Councilor-at-large Morris Bergman explains the proposal (items 10a & 10b) as if a councilor misses three meetings on any given year, the fourth meeting they miss, they’ll have to provide some documentation to notify the chair and the City Clerk. Otherwise, the councilor does not get paid.

Bergman said virtual attendance will still be respected.

“You can still meet virtually, there's no prohibition doing that, and it counts as attendance. So, we give people that option. A lot of people that work at other jobs don't even have the luxury of being able to attend their work virtually," Bergman said. "We have that luxury and, you know, we shouldn't abuse it.”

Spectrum News 1 reached out to Councilor-at-large Thu Nguyen following a social media post opposing the two items and has not heard back as of Monday evening.

Nguyen has attended one council meeting since mid-January, citing a hostile work environment.

“You can't say that that hasn't prompted the focus of the petitioner and the subcommittee in addressing this; that's true. But it's not intended to be punitive in the sense that we can't go retroactive on this; that would be illegal," Bergman said. "This is perspective. So, you know, any councilor that hasn't shown up in the past can simply start showing up and there would be no penalty at all.”

Bergman said the odd number of councilors chosen by the city charter is essential to decisions being made without tied votes for the council and subcommittees.

“We need all 11 of us to be present. And if there's a legitimate excuse or explanation, that's acceptable; that's fine. But you just can't not show up and expect to get paid without any explanation," Bergman said. "Nobody in the real world does that. And we should be treated no differently than the people that show up every morning with backaches and the sniffles and have to shovel their car and, we're no different.”

Councilor Bergman said the proposed items need a supermajority of councilors for approval which means at least eight votes.