Summary

Council asserts oversight and advances hotel worker wage ordinance

Los AngelesMay 16, 20252 min read

At a glance

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The City Council asserted jurisdiction over the Fire Commission’s approval of a hazardous‑materials waste management agreement with Clean Harbors and referred the matter to committee for further review. The Council also moved to adopt the City Attorney’s ordinance revising the Living Wage and Hotel Worker Minimum Wage rules, adopted an amending motion, and held the ordinance for second consideration on May 23, 2025.

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City Council

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LaborPublic SafetyUtilities

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What this means

The Council will review the Fire Department’s contract with Clean Harbors, meaning the full Council — not just the Fire Commission — will examine and oversee that hazardous‑waste agreement. Separately, the Council approved moving forward with changes to hotel and airport worker pay, benefits, training, and enforcement; those changes were amended and the ordinance was advanced but not yet final, with a second vote scheduled for May 23, 2025. No fiscal or community impact statements were submitted with the ordinance in the record.

Key decisions

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Asserted jurisdiction under City Charter Section 245 over the Board of Fire Commissioners’ May 6, 2025 action approving an agreement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc. for hazardous materials waste management; referred the matter to committee.
Adopted an amending motion to present the City Attorney’s communication and ordinance (dated May 15, 2025) revising the Living Wage Ordinance and Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance to increase wages and health benefits, add training requirements, and implement enforcement measures for hotel and airport workers.
Held the amended ordinance for second consideration on May 23, 2025. Vote on the Clean Harbors jurisdiction assertion recorded as 15 ayes; the ordinance amendment recorded 12 ayes, 3 nays.

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Meeting information

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City Council Meeting

May 16, 2025, 5:00 PMJOHN FERRARO COUNCIL CHAMBER, ROOM 340, CITY HALL, 200 NORTH SPRING STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90012completed

Agenda

25-0357 GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS and GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, INNOVATION, AND AUDITS COMMITTEES’ REPORT relative to the current use of City resources for office leases and workspace, and the costs and inventory of at-home work station equipment. Recommendations for Council action, pursuant to Motion (Rodriguez – Harris-Dawson): INSTRUCT the: Department of General Services, with the assistance of the City Administrative Officer (CAO), to report to Council with an overview of the City's current office lease portfolio, including an inventory of office space and costs associated with each lease. Information Technology Agency, with the assistance of the CAO, to report to Council with an overview of the City departments' costs and inventory associated with at-home work station equipment. CAO to report to Council on City telecommuting policies within each department; and to provide an analysis of whether consolidating leases, streamlining different departmental policies, and revising space requirements found in current labor agreements relative to office standards, may bring about a more cost effective use of City funds. Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA) to report to Council on current telecommuting and return-to-work policies in other jurisdictions across the State. Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the CAO nor the CLA has completed a financial analysis of this report. Community Impact Statement: None submitted. (Personnel and Hiring Committee waived consideration of the above matter.)
25-0357
Decision: Items for which Public Hearings Have Been Held
25-0166 MOTION (McOSKER - PADILLA) relative to asserting jurisdiction, pursuant to City Charter Section 245, on the May 6, 2025 Board of Fire Commissioners action to approve an agreement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc. (Clean Harbors). Recommendations for Council action: ASSERT jurisdiction, pursuant to City Charter Section 245, over the Board of Fire Commissioners’ May 6, 2025 action to approve an agreement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc., for hazardous materials waste management services pursuant to the Request for Proposals No. 2024-038-001, Board of Fire Commissioners File No. 25-019. REFER the matter, upon assertion of jurisdiction, to the Committee for further review. TIME LIMIT FILE - MAY 16, 2025 (LAST DAY FOR COUNCIL ACTION - MAY 16, 2025) 10 VOTES REQUIRED
25-0166
Decision: Special Agenda: Items for which Public Hearings Have Not Been Held - (10 Votes Required for Consideration)
14-1371-S13 COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY and ORDINANCE FIRST CONSIDERATION relative to the Living Wage Ordinance (LWO) and Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance (HWMO); and adding Article 2.1 and amending Articles 6 and 8 of Chapter XVIII of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC), and amending Articles 10 and 11 of Division 10 of the Los Angeles Administrative Code (LAAC) to increase the wages and health benefits provided to hotel and airport workers in the City of Los Angeles, to provide training requirements and implement enforcement measures for hotel workers, and other technical changes. Recommendation for Council action, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MAYOR: PRESENT and ADOPT the accompanying ORDINANCE, dated May 14, 2025, amending Sections 186.00, 186.01, 186.02, 186.04,186.07, 186.08, 186.09, 186.10, 188.00, 188.01, 188.02, 188.03, 188.05, 188.06, 188.09, 188.10, 188.11, and 188.13 of Articles 6 and 8 of Chapter XVIII of the LAMC, and amending Sections 10.36.1, 10.37, 10.37.1, 10.37.2, 10.37.3, 10.37.6, 10.37.7, 10.37.8, 10.37.13, and 10.37.15 of Articles 10 and 11 of Division 10 of the LAAC to increase the wages and health benefits provided to hotel and airport workers in the City of Los Angeles, to provide training requirements and implement enforcement measures for hotel workers, and other technical changes. Fiscal Impact Statement: None submitted by the City Attorney. Neither the City Administrative Officer nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report. Community Impact Statement: None submitted
14-1371-S13
Decision: Special Agenda: Items for which Public Hearings Have Not Been Held - (10 Votes Required for Consideration)