Long Beach Councilman Proposes Equal Benefits Ordinance

First District City Councilman Robert Garcia wants Long Beach to only offer city contracts to companies that provide equal spousal benefits packages for straight and gay employees.

At next Tuesday's council meeting Garcia is requesting that the city attorney draft an equal benefits ordinance.

"Everyone deserves equal treatment in the workplace," said Garcia, one of two openly gay council members.

While the state of California already has an equal benefits ordinance in place, the new piece of legislation would apply to municipal contracts.

Other cities with similar ordinances include Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland and Minneapolis. According to Garcia, "This is an important step forward for equality and civil rights in Long Beach."

San Francisco passed one of the first equal benefits ordinances in the world, thanks in part to the hard work of EQCA’s Geoff Kors. This is the same ordinance that is at the center around the current See’s Candy closure in SF.

The legislation would make an exception in the case of a public emergency or if there are too few companies that offer a particular service.