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Santa Monica council adopts narrower worker recall and retention rules for pier and city-owned hospitality

Santa Monica City Council · January 31, 2026
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Summary

Council approved amendments expanding worker recall and 90-day retention protections for hospitality businesses on city-owned property, including pier tenants and certain hotels, after extensive debate over enforcement, attorney-fee recovery and employee‑count thresholds.

Santa Monica’s City Council on Jan. 27 approved revised municipal rules requiring certain hospitality employers on city-owned property to offer rehire and temporary retention rights to displaced workers, a policy aimed at protecting employees during operator changes at the Pier and city‑owned facilities. The ordinance updates chapter 4.66 and adds chapter 4.69 to the city code, expanding existing hotel-worker protections.Councilors and city attorneys spent more than an hour in detailed procedural debate about who would be covered, how long offers must be held and how to balance worker protections with small-business concerns. The final ordinance…

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