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Committee votes to send measure reenacting COVID‑19 worker protections to full Board
Summary
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee voted 3‑0 to send to the full Board a committee report reenacting an emergency ordinance that requires grocery, drugstore, restaurant and on‑demand delivery employers to provide PPE, paid time for cleaning and other COVID‑19 scheduling and anti‑retaliation protections.
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee on June 30 voted 3‑0 to send to the full Board of Supervisors a committee report reenacting an emergency ordinance that would temporarily require grocery stores, drugstores, restaurants and on‑demand delivery employers to provide health and scheduling protections for workers during the COVID‑19 public health emergency.
Supervisor Matt Haney, the ordinance sponsor, said the emergency measure originally took effect May 1 and would otherwise expire on June 30. Haney described several key requirements of the reenactment, including that employers provide personal protective equipment "such as gloves, masks, hand sanitizer, soap and water or effective disinfectant in the workplace," reimburse on‑demand delivery workers who must purchase such items, and pay workers for time spent cleaning vehicles or traveling to hand‑washing facilities during a shift.
Haney said platforms must offer drivers and shoppers a no‑contact delivery option while the state of emergency continues and that employers must approve schedule change requests "under the city's paid sick leave ordinance during COVID‑19". He also emphasized a no‑retaliation clause: "Employers cannot discharge or threaten to discharge, demote, or suspend any person in retaliation for exercising rights protected under this emergency ordinance." Haney thanked local unions and community groups for their work on the measure.
A caller, Kong San, Executive Director of Jobs with Justice San Francisco, told the committee the reenactment was "a vital piece of legislation" for worker and public safety as businesses reopen. After public comment, Haney moved to transmit the measure to the full Board with a positive recommendation. The clerk recorded three ayes — Haney, Peskin and Mar — and the motion carried. The clerk noted items acted on would appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of July 7, 2020, unless otherwise stated.
The committee record shows the Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement as the enforcement/complaint point referenced during discussion. No amendments or opposing views were recorded during the committee meeting; public comment in this hearing was supportive.
The committee adjourned after the vote. The reenacted ordinance will next be considered by the full Board of Supervisors.
