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By Laura Smythe – Philadelphia Business Journal •
Published December 29, 2020 •
Updated on December 29, 2020 at 5:45 pm
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COVID-19 severely impacted the tourism and hospitality industries across the board this year, and hotels were no stranger to pandemic fallout, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The local industry kicked off on a high note after a year of healthy growth and record-breaking revenue in 2019.
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By mid-March, however, Philly’s hotel sector was fighting to keep its head above water. Properties were seeing 30% occupancy or less versus the typical 85% to 90% range seen at that time, PBJ.com reports.
On December 10, the Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed the Black Workers Matter Economic Recovery Package, a set of three bills that includes the right to return to those same jobs as workplaces re-open.
It was a victory not only for organized labor, but also for broader community organizing in solidarity with low-wage workers, led by groups like POWER, an interfaith, multi-racial social justice network of 50 congregations across Philadelphia and about as many more across the state.
“I had not [testified] in person in city council before and here I was doing it online,” says POWER Board Member Frances Upshaw, who testified in support of the bills. “It gives you some added angst. But I was happy to be able to do it. All of us have something to do to help these situations.”
Philadelphia Passes Black Workers Economic Recovery Package A three-bill package titled the “Black Workers Matter Economic Recovery Package” will provide job security for thousands of Black tourism and hospitality workers. The three bills passed unanimously. Juliana Feliciano Reyes, The Philadelphia Inquirer | December 11, 2020 | News
(TNS) Philadelphia, Pa., City Council unanimously approved three bills Thursday that aim to provide job security to the thousands of hospitality sector workers who were laid off during the coronavirus pandemic and who would likely face more job instability as the recession drags on.
The package of bills, dubbed the Black Workers Matter Economic Recovery Package, covers more than 12,000 tourism industry workers, such as hotel housekeepers and stadium food service workers. Many are Black women.