Council Considers Ordinance That Would Protect Hospitality Workers, Hoteliers Object

The Pasadena City Council will discuss enacting a Hospitality Workplace Protections Ordinance on Monday.

The ordinance would require hoteliers to adhere to certain health and safety requirements in the workplace even beyond the current state of emergency.

The ordinance would also include a “fair discharge” process that would protect jobs and only allow workers to be fired with just cause. New positions would be first offered to qualified discharged employees who lost their position for reasons other than “just cause.”

Two local hotels, Courtyard Pasadena and the Pasadena Hilton oppose the measure.

“Our city of Pasadena and our hotels do not need additional restrictions,” said Mike Owen, general manager of the Courtyard Pasadena. “The Courtyard Pasadena strongly opposes this ordinance. The hotel has always taken great care of our team members and guests and will continue this practice. Any time and efforts associated with this ordinance should be redirected to opening the city at the first safe opportunity and with as much business as possible coming into Pasadena.”

According to Owen, Courtyard Pasadena has had to place the majority of its team on temporary leave, but remains in close contact with the team members and plans to bring them back to work as soon as restrictions allow and business levels increase. Owen said worker will return at their most recent pay wage and with their original hire date.

“We have experienced significant loss of occupancy and revenues,” said Joe Titizian, general manager of the Pasadena Hilton. “We have had to place the majority of our workforce on temporary leave. While this has been very difficult, we are confident that our team will return as soon as restrictions allow and business increases. This is not the time to single out one of the hardest-hit industries. The city is doing a good job and we do not need any additional restrictions. The Hilton Pasadena hotel opposes this ordinance.”

The ordinance was proposed by Unite Here Local 11.

In proposing a Pasadena ordinance, City Manager Steve Mermell’s office examined similar ordinances in Santa Monica, Long Beach and Oakland.

The proposed local ordinance would establish a new set of regulations that would apply to all hotels, event centers like the Pasadena Center Operating Company, and private university cafeterias in the city like the one at Caltech.

The provision may be waived in a collective bargaining agreement.

“It is unknown at this time what level of impact such regulations would have on the operations of local hotels, PCOC or Caltech,” according to a city staff report.

If the City Council decided to consider the matter further, staff would recommend seeking input from stakeholders that could be impacted by the ordinance.

Over the past month, the occupancy rate at most Pasadena hotels has dropped from more than 80 percent prior to the pandemic, to 10 to15 percent. The occupancy drop has led to wide-spread layoffs and some local hotels, like the Langham Huntington Hotel, have suspended operations.