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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Living Wage Ordinance Passed

The Los Angeles City Council officially passed a motion Wednesday to require a dozen hotels near Los Angeles International Airport to pay workers a living wage, igniting fear in the business community that the ordinance sets a dangerous precedence that could spread to other industries. The council voted 10-3 to approve the measure, which requires hotels to pay housekeepers, servers and some kitchen staff $9.39 an hour with benefits or $10.64 an hour to those without benefits. Before today’s vote, the living wage ordinance passed in 1997 was applied only businesses under contract with the city. The City Council’s action Wednesday expands that interpretation to include hotel workers along Century City Boulevard because, the council said, those hotels benefit chiefly from Los Angeles International Airport a city-operated entity. Those voting in opposition were City Council members Dennis Zine and Greig Smith of the Valley and Bernard Parks. The City Council also approved two less-contentious measures addressing wages. One calls for hotels to pass tips generated from conferences to servers and another requires hotels to keep workers for at least three months if it is sold to a new owner. The changes have been widely criticized in the business community. The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Hotel Association of Southern California and several other business groups are working to place a referendum on the March ballot.

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