“This abrupt and destructive bill would permanently alter how hotels operate and threaten the jobs of thousands of New Yorkers,” said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. “If it becomes law, thousands of hotel jobs could be lost, hotels will shutter, and New York City’s economy – especially small business retailers, restaurants, and other hotel service providers – will suffer substantially. The bill imposes workplace rules that should be negotiated at the collective bargaining table, and fast-tracking a proposal of this magnitude in the dead of summer without input from hoteliers is policy malpractice.”
“What’s more, the legislation creates a one-size-fits-all model that fails to take into account the unique staffing and operational needs of the city’s nearly 700 hotels. The legislation’s proposed ban preventing non-union hotels from subcontracting certain functions will ruin the ability of many small-business hotels to maintain consistent operations in this tough labor market. The American Hotel & Lodging Association urges councilmembers to take a more deliberative approach to this bill, which would have a widespread negative impact on the city’s workforce and economy.”
Background
On July 18, New York City Council members introduced a bill that would require hotels to obtain additional licenses to operate in the city. Securing those licenses would require non-union hotels to eliminate the use of subcontractors for core functions – an attempt to turn unionization into a government-enforced requirement for hotels.
The bill would also require all hotel owners to be treated as joint employers along with hotel operators and set strict requirements for a number of hotel staffing functions.
Tags: AHLA, Kevin Carey
