Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.

Before I begin this post there is a question that should be asked. What is Councilmember-Elect Lupe Conchas’ position on Proposition 499. He was endorsed by Worker Power and received contributions from various unions. Which master will he serve? Worker Power and their Proposition 499 or the residents of the City of Glendale? It will be interesting to find out.

The Worker Power PAC, initiators of Proposition 499, to be voted on by Glendale voters on the November 5^th General Election ballot is at it again. Who is paying for this flyer? Three groups. The Worker Power PAC is one. In a previous blog, Worker Power Part 1, I provided information about Worker Power. The second funding source is Unite Here PAC. It represents…wait for it…hospitality workers. The third funding source, Workers Vote, is the most interesting. This year they received $250,000 from George Soros’ Super PAC. Proposition 499 is supported by George Soros.

Worker Power is passing out a flyer in support of their initiated Proposition 499. Here is the front of the flyer:

LIE #1: The only worker on the front of the flyer that Prop 499 applies to is the cleaning person. It does not cover the chef/cook or the two fast food workers depicted.

The front of the flyer is all warm and fuzzy and without knowing the facts one assumes this Proposition applies to all of the workers depicted. It does not. They want you to think that it covers all Glendale workers. It does not.

Let’s begin with some basic definitions regarding the hospitality industry and exactly who is a hospitality worker. The definition of hospitality industry work is services that support people traveling or visiting certain places for pleasure. The industry includes businesses classified as performing hospitality work, such as hotels, sporting event venues, restaurants, cruises and other tourism-related businesses.

Hospitality Worker means any individual who works for a Hospitality Employer and who performs a service for which a Hospitality Employer imposes a Service Charge. “Hospitality Worker” does not include a managerial employee.

Proposition 499 targets hotels and events but not exclusively. Events included in the definition of the hospitality industry include sporting events, concerts, conventions and fundraisers. Venues catering to personal special occasions also fall into this sector, such as businesses that handle weddings, birthday or anniversary parties and family reunions.

However, the principal target of Prop 499 is lodging (hotels, especially VIA Resort). Places where people sleep when away from home fall under the umbrella of the hospitality industry’s lodging segment. These establishments may be anything from small bed and breakfasts and Airbnb rentals to midsize motels and corporate hotels.

Here’s the back of the Worker Power flyer:

LIE #2: “Glendale needs a raise!” They want you to think all Glendale governmental employees or the City of Glendale initiated this Proposition and support it. This is not true. This proposition was not started by the City of Glendale.

Glendale governmental employees get an annual cost of living increase as well as merit pay. They did not propose this.

General, non-governmental employees did not propose this either. This proposition by Worker Power is targeted toward VIA Resort, which will have about 1200 rooms. In Worker Power’s eyes, that is a juicy target.

LIE #3: “Prop 499 will boost our local economy.” No, it won’t. It will put Glendale at an economic disadvantage with every city in the state because none of them have such a law. The Common Sense Institute reports that Proposition 499 will reduce Glendale’s economy by between $120 million and $1.9 billion. Associated job losses will be between 1,700 and 32,000.

LIE #4: Ensure local hospitality workers are compensated fairly. How fairly, you ask?  For hospitality workers it would be $20 an hour and $40 an hour overtime. The minimum wage for all workers in the state is $14.35 an hour and in January, 2025, goes to $14.75 an hour. Increasing one segment of workers to $20 an hour hardly seems fair to all workers.

LIE #5: Keep Glendale dollars in Glendale pockets. Only if they are allowed to be pick pockets. Not all of Glendale’s workers live in Glendale. In fact, about 70% of Glendale’s workers come from other Valley cities and that is where they spend their money.

This proposition is smoke and mirrors. They are trying to sell you, the Glendale voter, on something that is not wanted nor needed.

This proposition was not Glendale’s idea. Please vote ‘no’ on Proposition 499, a California union’s scheme. Don’t California Glendale!

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