City Of West Hollywood: City Council Of The City Of West Hollywood Approves Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

August 04, 2021 5:15 PM

The City Council of the City of West Hollywood, at its regular meeting on Monday, August 2, 2021, approved on second reading a Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance, which establishes certain additional protections for hotel workers in the City of West Hollywood.

Full text of Ordinance No. 21-1159 is available on the City of West Hollywood’s website at www.weho.org/home/showdocument?id=50480.

The West Hollywood City Council, at its regular meeting on Monday, April 19, 2021, directed City staff to work with the City Attorney to draft an Ordinance establishing additional protections for hotel workers. At its regular meeting on Monday, July 19, 2021, the City Council introduced the Ordinance on first reading. The approved Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance will add Chapter 5.128 to the West Hollywood Municipal Code regarding hotel worker protection.

The Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance includes four key elements:

Tourism is a major economic driver in the City of West Hollywood and people from all over the globe and from throughout the region visit West Hollywood for its iconic destinations such as The Sunset Strip for its unparalleled historical connection to music, entertainment, architecture, fashion, and culture-making; for Santa Monica Boulevard’s historic LGBTQ destinations and entertainment establishments; and for the Design District’s shopping, galleries, and restaurants.

According to the West Hollywood Travel + Tourism Board, 25 percent of the City’s labor force works in hospitality and food services. Currently, there are 18 hotels open in West Hollywood, ranging from 14 rooms to 285 rooms, totaling 2,566 rooms in the City. The cities of Santa Monica, Long Beach, Emeryville, Oakland, and Seattle have also adopted Ordinances that include some or all of the provisions of West Hollywood’s Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance.

For additional information, please contact John Leonard, the City of West Hollywood’s Community & Legislative Affairs Manager, at (323) 848-6446 or at jleonard@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

The City of West Hollywood remains in a declared local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. West Hollywood City Hall is open for in-person transactions by appointment; to make an appointment, visit www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services remain accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org. City of West Hollywood coronavirus information is available at www.weho.org/coronavirus.

For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media @WeHoCity, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

slunn@weho.org

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.