Gov. Newsom: Protect Hospitality Workers

Dear Governor Newsom:

I am writing to you today to ask you to sign Assembly Bill 3216, which would give laid-off hospitality workers in California the opportunity to be rehired once the industry begins to recover.

Hospitality workers are the backbone of an industry that almost entirely shuttered due to COVID-19. Like many members of SAG-AFTRA, those workers, who often live from paycheck to paycheck, lost their jobs almost overnight, with very little to fall back on to weather a once-in-a-century economic collapse.

As our nation takes small steps to reopen the economy, SAG-AFTRA members stand with these professional workers, who are predominantly women of color. Travelers often cherish the memory of a room attendant who took notice of their special need, a cook who adjusted a favored food to accommodate a dietary issue or a server who doted over a diner traveling alone.

It is unconscionable for employers to ignore the intense national debate over racism and sexual harassment by, according to Department of Labor numbers, rehiring white workers twice as fast as Black workers and using COVID-19 as a cover for getting rid of older workers, many of whom are women with a strong history in the industry.

This is a challenging time for Californians and all U.S. residents, as individuals and families struggle to pay the rent and put food on the table. Please consider signing AB 3216 to offer much-needed relief to some of our state’s most industrious service workers.

In solidarity,

Gabrielle Carteris
SAG-AFTRA President