Philadelphia City Council passes recovery package targeting hospitality workers

In early January, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed a large economic recovery package aimed at protecting hospitality industry workers by granting them a right of recall if they are laid off due to COVID-19-related economic hardship or if their employer undergoes an ownership change or foreclosure.

Details

Called the Black Workers Matter Recovery Package, the legislation is designed to address racial equity issues in the hospitality industry and is made up of three separate bills:

The first bill—titled “Travel and Hospitality Worker Recall and Retention” (Bill No. 200557)—gives laid-off hospitality workers a right of recall to jobs they lost due to the pandemic.

The second bill—titled “Retention of Hotel Workers” (Bill No. 200563)—protects workers’ jobs if a hotel is sold or goes through foreclosure.

The third bill—titled "Protection of Displaced Contract Workers” (Bill No. 200559)—amends an existing law to allow stadium seasonal workers and food service workers at Philadelphia International Airport to keep their jobs if a new contractor takes over services.

Bill #1: ‘Right of recall’

Under this bill, employees laid-off from companies dealing in airport hospitality, hotels, or event centers such as stadiums will have a right of recall to their old jobs if they are laid off due to economic hardship related to COVID-19. It will expire on December 31, 2025.