Fired workers from the Langham hotel delivered a letter to policymakers in Pasadena urging them to uphold the city’s Worker Retention and Right of Recall law passed in July after workers have been led to question whether Langham management is following the law. Workers are asking for transparency about what work is available, whom the management is recalling doing the work, and what the plans are for the future.
“My coworkers and I worked hard to pass this law. We want the city of Pasadena to enforce this and for Governor Newsom to sign AB 3216 so workers across the state can have these protections. AB 3216 would make the recall process more transparent for us and workers all across California need it” said Yesenia Ortiz, fired Langham Hotel worker.
The Langham Pasadena’s abrupt decision to fire workers during the pandemic in May moved the Pasadena City Council to pass a law in July that obligates hotels to offer employees their jobs when business returns.
“There is no more gratifying work in public office than to make sure our neighbors are treated fairly in their respective work environment. The hardworking women and men, our neighbors, at the Langham and all our hotels in Pasadena, deserve to get their jobs back by seniority, which is why we passed the recall and retention ordinance earlier in the pandemic, “said Pasadena Councilman John J. Kennedy.
Former Langham workers recently learned that MLB will occupy the 383-room hotel for the playoff games scheduled for early October. The 35 workers who sent the letter to MLB– who have more than 300 years of seniority – have yet to be called back.
“I am a single mother of four kids and worked at Langham for 7 years. I need this job to provide for my family. I am asking Pasadena to enforce the law and I am asking Governor Newsom to sign AB 3216 for all hospitality workers like me who depend on this industry to provide for our families,” said Miriam Reyes, fired Langham worker.
Both the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) came out in support of the workers right to return to their jobs as business returns to the hospitality industry.
Fired hotel workers were also joined by clergy leaders who after the event caravanned to Sacramento to deliver a letter in support of the Langham workers and all fired hospitality workers across California to urge Governor Gavin Newsom to sign AB 3216. Clergy leaders joined hospitality workers who have been outside the capitol the last 7 days, in some cases fasting as well. Governor Gavin Newsom has until September 30th to sign.
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