Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
LA City Council Passes More COVID-19 Protections for Workers, Renters
A nearly empty chamber for a remote L.A. City Council meeting. (Screenshot shows streamed meeting)
()
In a marathon meeting Friday, the Los Angeles City Council passed a round of emergency measures intended to add protections for renters and workers at large businesses struggling during the pandemic.
The city now requires businesses with over 500 employees to provide 80 hours of paid leave that workers can use to recover from COVID-19 or care for their family. This category of employers had been exempted from the federal coronavirus sick leave bill signed into law last week.
The council, however, opted to follow Congress’ example and exempt businesses with 50 employees or less from its paid leave mandate. The exemption was made after small business owners complained to the council that mandating the sick leave would "bankrupt every restaurant, bar and retail store in Los Angeles and the related businesses that depend on them," according to a letter from Hunter Hall, a principal at Archetype Hospitality & Development.
"They will never be able to reopen if they are forced to pay what is effectively a 2-week severance to every single employee because they were forced to shut down," Hall wrote.
Support for LAist comes from
EXPANDED PROTECTION FOR RENTERS
The council also expanded the length of time renters can pay back rent that goes unpaid during the coronavirus outbreak -- from the six months originally proposed by Mayor Eric Garcetti to a year.
And the council expanded eviction protections during the outbreak to include tenants who exceed the number of people allowed in a unit, the LA Times reported.
The 11-hour meeting was conducted over Zoom to minimize the chance of spreading the virus at City Hall, with Martinez the only councilmember present in council chambers.
City Hall reporters found themselves in a brave new world of political reporting as they watched the councilmembers orating from inside their homes:
Awkward camera angles, intriguing backdrops. They must never meet in the council chamber again pic.twitter.com/uFX2CAmHM5
— David Zahniser 🦅 (@DavidZahniser) March 28, 2020
My editor telling me no, get it done now. pic.twitter.com/W9z1nUJPTD
— Elizabeth Chou (@reporterliz) March 28, 2020
Support for LAist comes from
The Zoom council meeting had to be halted at one point because some in the audience were posting pornographic images.
The meeting is back on, and the city officials apologized for the pornographic videos. They said at least they weren't shown on Channel 35, and that those who used the phone to call in did not see the images. I did see, however, eek. https://t.co/d7hZIQjc9U
— Elizabeth Chou (@reporterliz) March 27, 2020
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist