BREAKING NEWS: Support for Safe Hotels Act Reaches Supermajority in NYC Council

August 8, 2024 4:01 PM

Just yesterday, support for the New York City Safe Hotels Act reached a supermajority in the NYC Council.

The Safe Hotels Act would provide some of the health and safety protections that we’ve won in our Union’s contracts like panic buttons, daily room cleaning, and security protections to all NYC hotel workers and would curb the use of exploitive subcontracting agencies in most hotels.

When the bill was first introduced by Councilmember Julie Menin in July, more than 20 co-sponsors were quickly on board. The hotel industry reacted aggressively – refusing to negotiate, setting aside $20 million to kill the bill, and threatening to campaign against elected officials who supported the legislation.

The industry’s tactics backfired spectacularly – with at least a dozen city councilmembers signing on as additional co-sponsors of the bill after news of the industry’s aggression broke. Now, with 34 co-sponsors, the bill has the support of a supermajority, more than enough to pass it.

“The hotel industry thought that they could bully and intimidate our Union and elected officials into backing off this bill. They obviously don’t know us very well. I don’t care who you are or how deep your pockets are, no one can get in between us and doing what’s best for our members and hotel workers,” shared HTC President Rich Maroko.

President Maroko added, “On behalf of our Union’s 40,000 members, I want to thank Councilmember Menin and the other co-sponsors for sticking by hotel workers – even when it wasn’t easy. You had our backs, and we will remember it.”

To get this legislation over the finish line, we’ll need to be vigilant and show up in force. Stay tuned for updates.