The Irvine City Council passed the first reading of an ordinance after a narrow 3–2 vote Oct. 25—with Vice Mayor Anthony Kuo and Councilman Mike Carroll dissenting—which will require better safety practices, higher pay in some instances, and a more balanced workload to the city’s hotel workers.
One part of the ordinance directs hotel employers in the city to provide employees with a panic button, which can be used when personal safety is at risk. The issue was included in the ordinance after recent reports from housekeepers of harassment by hotel guests.
“Back in May while I was working on my floor, a fully naked man stood at the doorway of the room to say, ‘Can you clean my room?’” an Irvine Hilton room attendant told the council during public comments.
Another housekeeper for the same hotel said since the pandemic, cleaning is only done once a guest checks out. She said this has led to very dirty rooms that take much longer to clean.
“I often have to rush from floor to floor to finish them,” she said in Spanish.
The ordinance will also cap hotel workers’ shifts to 10 hours, unless they agree to longer hours in writing.
The ordinance also includes a limit on the square footage a worker can clean in any given workday, depending on the size of the hotel. If exceeded, the worker would be eligible to receive double pay for cleaning the additional square footage.
The new rules don’t apply to hotels with fewer than 45 rooms, and it resumes room daily cleaning, with an option for guests to opt out. According to housekeepers, daily cleaning helps relieve the workload.
Several hotel managers who spoke in opposition to the ordinance at the meeting questioned the necessity of holding this meeting on short notice, which was agendized as an emergency meeting by Mayor Farrah Khan and Councilwoman Tammy Kim.
They said they agreed with the personal safety requirements, but most said they weren’t given an opportunity to provide input on other matters. They argued that some of the ordinance’s requirements would be detrimental to their hotel’s bottom-line after rebounding from the pandemic.
“All I’m asking is that you give us an opportunity to have meaningful discourse together,” said Anthony Zand, an attorney with the Pacific Hospitality Group, an Irvine-based property management company representing 12 hotels. “Why is this being done under the cover of night at a last-minute emergency meeting?”
CEO of the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce Bryan Starr also spoke on the matter, saying the issue was rushed.
“The proposed ordinance has been hastily put in place with no input from stakeholders. There’s been no formal process,” Starr said.
Both Starr and Zand said they support worker safety provisions, but said they would like more time to discuss with the council the operations and wage changes in the ordinance.
The room was also packed with UC Irvine students, all in support of the ordinance.
Former Irvine Mayor and Councilwoman Christina Shea sided with hotel owners and managers, saying the emergency meeting was not necessary and more time should have been given for discussion.
“I believe this is not an emergency item. There’s nothing emergency about this. I don’t feel that it’s proper that it’s on the agenda tonight,” she said.
Before voting, councilors each discussed their stance on the issue.
Vice Mayor Kuo suggested keeping the requirements for personal safety, and removing issues regarding workers compensation, workload, and other non-personal safety matters until further discussion. However, his motion didn’t carry enough votes.
Carroll, who attended the meeting remotely, voted no on the ordinance, but he didn’t specify why.
Mayor Khan said she didn’t think the ordinance was written adequately and the issue may return before the council in about six to eight months, but said she would vote yes to see immediate protections given.
“I have a feeling this ordinance isn’t going to work right. But I will support you. I have supported you in the past and I will continue to support you,” Khan said to the hotel workers in the room.
The city council will vote again on the ordinance to finalize it at an upcoming meeting.
