L.A. council members were told a vote could violate public meeting law. They voted anyway

When Los Angeles City Council members took up a program to hike the wages of tourism workers this week, they received immoderate carefully worded advice from metropolis lawyers: Don't ballot connected this yet.

Senior Assistant City Atty. Michael J. Dundas advised them connected Wednesday — heavy into their gathering — that his bureau had not yet conducted a last ineligible reappraisal of the flurry of last-minute changes they requested earlier successful the day.

Dundas recommended that the assembly hold its ballot for 2 days to comply with the Ralph M. Brown Act, the state's unfastened gathering law.

"We counsel that the posted docket for today’s gathering provides insufficient announcement nether the Brown Act for archetypal information and adoption of an ordinance to summation the wages and wellness benefits for edifice and airdrome workers," Dundas wrote.

The assembly pressed up anyway, voting 12-3 to increase the minimum wage of those workers to $30 per hr by 2028, contempt objections from concern groups, edifice owners and airdrome businesses.

Read more: L.A. assembly backs $30 minimum wage for hotels, contempt warnings from tourism industry

Then, connected Friday, the assembly conducted a do-over vote, taking up the rewritten wage measurement astatine a peculiar noon gathering — 1 called lone the time before. The effect was the same, with the measurement passing again, 12-3.

Some successful the edifice manufacture questioned wherefore Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who runs the meetings, insisted connected moving guardant Wednesday, adjacent aft the lawyers' warning.

Jackie Filla, president and main enforcement of the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles, said the determination to proceed Wednesday gave a governmental boost to Unite Here Local 11, which represents edifice workers. The national had already scheduled an predetermination for Thursday for its members to ballot connected whether to increase their dues.

By approving the $30 per hr minimum wage connected Wednesday, the assembly gave the national a potent selling constituent for the projected dues increase, Filla said.

"It looks similar it was successful Unite Here's fiscal involvement to person that timing," she said.

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who opposed the wage increases, was much blunt.

"It was wide that Marqueece intended to beryllium arsenic adjuvant arsenic possible" to Unite Here Local 11, "even if it meant violating the Brown Act," she said.

Harris-Dawson spokesperson Rhonda Mitchell declined to accidental wherefore her brag pushed for a wage ballot connected Wednesday aft receiving the ineligible proposal astir the Brown Act. That instrumentality requires section governments to instrumentality further nationalist remark if a legislative connection has changed substantially during a meeting.

Mitchell, successful a substance message, said Harris-Dawson scheduled the caller wage ballot for Friday due to the fact that of a mistake by metropolis lawyers.

"The point was re-agendized due to the fact that of a clerical mistake connected the City Attorney's portion — and this is the correction," she said.

Mitchell did not supply details connected the error. However, the wording connected the 2 gathering agendas is so different.

Read more: Faced with a $30 minimum wage, edifice investors commencement looking extracurricular L.A.

Wednesday's agenda called for the assembly to inquire metropolis lawyers to "prepare and present" amendments to the wage laws. Friday's agenda called for the assembly to "present and adopt" the projected changes.

Maria Hernandez, a spokesperson for Unite Here Local 11, said successful an email that her national does not power the City Council's schedule. The union's ballot connected higher dues progressive not conscionable its L.A. members but besides thousands of workers successful Orange County and Arizona, Hernandez said.

"The timing of LA City Council votes is not up to america (sadly!) — successful information we were expecting a ballot much than a twelvemonth agone — nor would the precise timing beryllium salient to our members," she said.

Hernandez said Unite Here Local 11 members voted "overwhelmingly" connected Thursday to summation their dues, allowing the national to treble the size of its onslaught money and wage for "an service of organizers" for the adjacent circular of labour talks. She did not disclose the size of the dues increase.

Dundas' memo, written connected behalf of City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto, was submitted precocious successful Wednesday's deliberations, aft assembly members requested a fig of changes to the minimum wage ordinance. At 1 point, they took a recess truthful their lawyers could enactment connected the changes.

By the clip the lawyers emerged with the caller language, Dundas' memo was pinned to the nationalist bulletin committee successful the assembly chamber, wherever spectators rapidly snapped screenshots.

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This communicative primitively appeared successful Los Angeles Times.