FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

January 24, 2022

CULVER CITY, Calif. –  A Culver City ordinance requiring healthcare employers to provide premium hazard pay for hospital workers during the COVID-19 pandemic was neither discriminatory nor unlawful, a federal judge ruled, dismissing Southern California Healthcare System’s lawsuit challenging the law.

“This ordinance showed us that the Culver City Council recognizes the incredible sacrifices we have made to keep this city safe, and this ruling is a victory for the Culver City hospital workers who have shown up every day during this pandemic, putting themselves and their families at risk to care for patients with COVID-19,” said La Rhonda M. Smith, a speech-language pathologist at Southern California Hospital at Culver City. “Sadly, the hospital wasted taxpayer dollars challenging the law, but thankfully us frontline workers will be still be rewarded for our efforts during this public health crisis. ”

The ordinance required hospital employers to provide $5.00 per hour in addition to their current rate for 120 days. The ordinance affected approximately 1,000 healthcare workers in Culver City, including, but not limited to, clinicians, nurses, aides, technicians, janitorial and housekeeping staff, security guards, food services workers, laundry workers, pharmacists, and nonmanagerial administrative staff.

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Media contact: Renée Saldaña, [email protected]

SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is a healthcare justice union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, patients, and healthcare activists united to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality care for all Californians, provided by valued and respected healthcare workers. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.