Dear City of Los Angeles Restaurateur,
The City of Los Angeles is considering to adopt two emergency measures, measure 72J and 72KK that will complicate the way your restaurant operates during this difficult time when many restaurants are struggling to remain open or have closed all together due to the effects of COVID-19.
Councilmembers Mike Bonin, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Paul Koretz and separately, Gil Cedillo, have introduced motions to instruct the Los Angeles City Attorney to draft ordinances, which will require:
- Businesses to lay off employees based on seniority.
- If a business survives this public health crisis, employees will have the right of returning to work based on seniority.
- If a business is sold, the laid-off employees will have the right of retention by new owner.
- Businesses will need to have ‘just cause’ to terminate an employee.
- Additionally, it seeks to establish new employee “break” rules every 4-hours for hand washing, further restricting scheduling for something that is already the bedrock of restaurant food safety practices.
Retroactive to March 1, 2020.
Read motion 72J here
Read motion 72KK here
These measures were originally scheduled to be voted on by City Council tomorrow, March 24th but Council President Nury Martinez has decided to cancel both tomorrow’s and the March 31st meeting.
Nonetheless, it is never easy for a business to lay off their employees. Whether it is based on seniority, efficiency, merit or cost, it should be up to the business itself, NOT city hall.
Join us in emailing and calling the city council to share how these measures will further limit your options in the face of this world-wide pandemic and government-mandated closures!
Councilmember Gil Cedillo, CD1
gilbert.cedillo@lacity.org; 213-434-4054
Councilmember Paul Krekorian, CD2
rekoripaul.kan@lacity.org; 213-473-7002
Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, CD3
councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org; 213-473-7003
Councilmember David Ryu, CD 4
cd4.issues@lacity.org; 213-473-7004
Councilmember Paul Koretz, CD5
paul.koretz@lacity.org; 213-473-7005
Council President Nury Martinez, CD6
councilmember.martinez@lacity.org; 213-473-7006
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, CD 7
councilmember.rodriguez@lacity.org; 213-473-7007
Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, CD 8
councilmember.harris-dawson@lacity.org; 213-473-7008
Councilmember Curren Price, Jr., CD 9
councilmember.price@lacity.org; 213-473-7009
Councilmember Herb Wesson, CD 10
herb.wesson@lacity.org; 213-473-7010
Councilmember Mike Bonin, CD 11
councilmember.bonin@lacity.org; 213-473-7011
Councilmember John Lee, CD 12
councilmember.lee@lacity.org; 213-473-7012
Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, CD 13
councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org; 213-473-7013
Councilmember Jose Huizar, CD 14
councilmember.huizar@lacity.org; 213-473-7014
Councilmember Joe Buscaino, CD 15
councilmember.buscaino@lacity.org; 213-473-7015
If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please contact David Juarez at 323-774-2559 or djuarez@calrest.org.