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Board tables emergency ventilation ordinance after union and building-owners reach agreement
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously tabled an emergency ordinance requiring large nonresidential buildings to certify mechanical ventilation compliance after labor and building-owner negotiators reported a deal.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 4 unanimously tabled an emergency ordinance that would have required owners of high-rise nonresidential buildings of 50,000 square feet or more to certify that mechanical ventilation systems comply with applicable law.
The ordinance, introduced as an emergency measure requiring eight votes for same‑day passage under the city charter, would have required on-site businesses to post ventilation certifications, directed the Department of Public Health and Department of Building Inspection to post complaint information on their websites, and to coordinate inspections of alleged noncompliance within five business days.
The board tabled the matter after Supervisor Safaie said janitors’ union representatives and building owners had reached an agreement in parallel negotiations. "Ventilation and safety and workplace standards were discussed and it was reflected in their collective bargaining agreement," Safaie said when moving to table the ordinance. The motion to table was seconded by Supervisor Mandelmann. The roll call vote in favor was 11–0 and the ordinance was tabled without objection.
Supervisor Mandelmann thanked Supervisor Peskin for his role in the negotiations, saying the dispute that had been ongoing for months was resolved at the bargaining table. "I congratulate Supervisor Peskin on his good efforts, in resolving that many‑months long dispute between Local 87 and the building owners," Mandelmann said.
The clerk read the ordinance summary into the record before the motion: it would have applied to nonresidential buildings with 50,000 square feet or more of floor area and required the two city departments to coordinate complaint intake and inspect alleged noncompliance within five business days. The ordinance text also noted the city charter requirement that an emergency ordinance needs eight votes for same‑day passage.
No formal findings, amendments, or further direction to staff were adopted during the tabling motion. Because the item was tabled, no ordinance language was enacted at the meeting.
The matter may return to the board if sponsors reintroduce it; the clerk’s file and the board minutes will show the tabling action and vote tally.
Ending: The board’s unanimous tabling leaves enforcement and oversight to the negotiated agreement reported by parties at the meeting; the ordinance itself was not advanced at the May 4 session.
