Santa Monica city officials are considering a proposal that would require hotels and shops to offer the employees they are now laying off the right of first refusal on any future job openings.

At the request of hotel union organizers, Santa Monica Mayor and Green Party member Michael Feinstein introduced the proposal at last week’s City Council meeting. The Council voted to have city staff study the issue and report back with recommendations on how to proceed with a draft ordinance.

Major issues still to be addressed include what would be considered a good faith effort to contact laid-off employees and what penalties, if any, would be imposed on companies that do not make such good faith efforts.

Similar proposals have been in effect for years in Los Angeles and other cities dealing specifically with changes of city contractors, nut this is believed to be the first measure of its kind on the West Coast applying to private sector employers.

Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 814 organizing director Kurt Petersen, who brought the issue to Feinstein’s attention, said, “These are invisible workers who are losing their jobs. We shouldn’t compound this by saying there is no guarantee of ever getting their jobs back.”

But business groups say the proposal is too burdensome. “It’s unfair to require that companies locate ex-employees and then go through what promises to be extensive paperwork to comply with this regulation,” said Kathryn Dodson, executive director of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce.