RESOLUTION NO. _____________

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

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RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE ADOPTION OF A SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTOR CODE OF CONDUCT FOR FOOD SERVICE WORKERS

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RESOLVED, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, State of California, that

WHEREAS, as elected members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, we are committed to the health and well-being of all workers; and

WHEREAS, employers such as biotech and high-tech companies, educational institutions, health care facilities, financial companies, and law firms in San Mateo County contract for onsite dining service; and

WHEREAS, food service workers employed by these dining contractors, despite working in the cafeterias of some of the most successful companies in the world, earn incomes that are well below the county’s average per capita income; and

WHEREAS, many of these food service workers cannot afford their company-provided healthcare plans; and

WHEREAS, dining contractors that offer substandard wage and benefit packages pass a portion of their labor costs onto taxpayers when their poorly paid workers turn to the public sector for basic necessities such as healthcare and housing; and

WHEREAS, through the work of the Housing Endowment & Regional Trust and Blue Ribbon Task Force on Adult Health Coverage Expansion, the County has identified a significant need for quality service industry jobs that offer affordable health coverage and pay wages sufficient to provide workers access to quality housing located near their places of employment; and

WHEREAS, a socially responsible contractor code of conduct for food service workers complies with the spirit and intent of the Board’s vision for the future of San Mateo County as it is expressed by the policy goals and commitments adopted as part of Shared Vision 2010; and

WHEREAS, a socially responsible contractor code of conduct contains the following four provisions: 1) a worker retention provision that allows employees to remain employed at the same location in the event of a transition between contractors; 2) fair wages and benefits, including affordable health coverage; 3) compliance with State and Federal laws; and 4) neutrality toward unionization and labor peace.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors endorses the adoption of a socially responsible contractor code of conduct for food service workers. Furthermore, the Board of Supervisors urges all companies in San Mateo County who contract for onsite cafeteria services to adopt and enforce a socially responsible contractor code of conduct.

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