Davis and Himmelrich Protest Too Much

September 20, 2021

Dear Editor,

At Tuesday's contentious City Council meeting, Mayor Sue Himmelrich lamented the use of so-called "13 items" to address pressing community concerns ("Council Takes Steps to Curb Own Agenda Items," September 17, 2021).

She expressed a preference for a "different" and "meaningful" approach, a preference joined by Councilmember Gleam Davis.

But neither Himmelrich nor Davis were concerned in 2018 when Unite Here Local 11 worked with the Council to circumvent the proper legislative channels

That year, the city's Commission on the Status of Women copied and rubber-stamped a Local 11 proposal designed to disadvantage non-union hotels ("Union Backed Proposal Takes Unusual Route to Council Agenda," October 19, 2018).

The Council later passed a near-identical ordinance over the objections of hotel housekeepers and independent economists.

Then-Councilmember Kevin McKeown even used a "13 item" to modify the proposal, which apparently did not bother Himmelrich or Davis at the time ("Council Adds Last-Minute Worker Retention Provision to Hotel Ordinance," August 14, 2019).

After years of serving special interests such as Local 11, Santa Monica's City Council is once again serving the interests of residents. It's not surprising to see defenders of the old status quo protest.

Charlyce Bozzello
Communications Director
Center for Union Facts