Bill adds gender to job discrimination law
Under a bill narrowly approved Thursday by the state Assembly,
bosses cannot tell a woman worker to dress in a more feminine
manner or harass a male employee because of his slight build. The
bill will add actual or perceived gender to the state’s
employment discrimination law, which outlaws bias based on race,
religion, color, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex
or sexual orientation.
The author, Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles, says
the bill would help transgender people and those who don’t
possess traits that are stereotypically associated with his or her
gender.
Those traits could include personality, clothing, hairstyle,
speech or mannerisms, according to an Assembly analysis of the
legislation.
Under the bill, an employer could, however, still impose
workplace appearance, grooming or dress standards that are related
to the job.
One opponent, Assemblyman Tim Leslie, R-Tahoe City, said the
bill would allow a transsexual worker to “dress opposite
their natural sex.”
He said that would be “disruptive of various business
places.”
The bill was sent to the Senate by a 41-31 vote, a scant
majority of the 80-member Assembly.
Staples inks deal for $1 billion L.A.
project
Developers of a proposed $1 billion project surrounding
downtown’s sports arena and Convention Center signed an
agreement Thursday granting concessions to a coalition of
environmentalists, labor leaders and community groups.
Los Angeles Arena Land Co. executive Ted Tanner said the
proposed development will provide “quality jobs and strong,
balanced communities vital to the future of Los Angeles.”
“This agreement will guarantee both while further
revitalizing downtown Los Angeles and adding millions of dollar to
the local economy,” said Tanner, the company’s senior
vice president.
The agreement was reached after months of negotiations between
the company and the Figueroa Corridor Coalition for Economic
Justice. The development is to include two hotels, housing, a
theater and a plaza.
“It is the first time that a developer in Los Angeles has
taken the full breadth of community issues into consideration,
including housing, employment and quality of life,” coalition
spokeswoman Gilda Haas said.
Project developers told City Council members May 3 that their
complex would transform 30 acres of parking lots and aging
buildings around Staples Center into a Southern California version
of New York City’s Times Square.
Developers, including billionaire Denver railroad magnate Philip
Anschutz and Australian media baron Rupert Murdoch, agreed to hire
locally and provide a “˜”˜living wage” of
$7.72 per hour with benefits or $8.97 without.
Hahn supporter may have solicited money
Officials of a Riverside County tribe say they spent $100,000 on
mailers attacking Los Angeles mayoral candidate Antonio
Villaraigosa at the request of a longtime supporter of opponent Jim
Hahn.
The alleged actions by consultant Daniel Weinstein ““ if
coordinated by Hahn’s campaign ““ would be illegal under
city campaign finance rules limiting contributions to citywide
candidates to $1,000 in most circumstances.
Aides for Hahn, Los Angeles’ city attorney, said they did
not know of a telephone conference between Weinstein and six Indian
tribes last week, and that Weinstein was not authorized to
represent the campaign. Weinstein could not be reached for comment
Thursday.
The money the Sobobas gave went toward 120,000 postcards that
began arriving in Los Angeles homes Tuesday.
Compiled from Daily Bruin wire reports.