Libby Rainey
has been tracking how L.A. is preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Published January 14, 2026 3:34 PM
L.A. unions gathered outside the Tesla Diner in Hollywood to launch a ballot initiative aimed at companies with executive pay that vastly exceeds the average worker.
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Libby Rainey
/
LAist
)
Topline:
Progressive forces in Los Angeles are taking aim at companies with bloated executive pay through a ballot initiative.
What's happening: On Wednesday, a coalition led by hotel workers union Unite Here Local 11 launched a signature-gathering effort for a ballot proposition they called the "Overpaid CEO Tax."
What would the ballot proposition do? If it makes it on the November ballot, it will ask voters to impose an additional city business tax on large companies with CEO pay that is exponentially higher than worker pay.
How would it work? If passed by voters, the executive pay ordinance would impose an additional business tax on companies with at least 1,000 employees whose top executive makes more than 50 times the median worker pay in Los Angeles.
Read on ... for more on the bigger political fight over the coming Olympic Games.
Progressive forces in Los Angeles are taking aim at companies with bloated executive pay through a ballot initiative.
On Wednesday, a coalition led by hotel workers union Unite Here Local 11 launched a signature-gathering effort for a ballot proposition they called the "Overpaid CEO Tax." If the proposition makes the November ballot, it will ask voters to impose an additional city business tax on large companies with CEO pay that is exponentially higher than worker pay.
Representatives of some of Los Angeles' most powerful unions, including the Los Angeles teachers union UTLA, gathered in Hollywood to announce the launch. They spoke on the sidewalk outside of the Tesla Diner — a recently opened charging station and restaurant owned by world's richest man Elon Musk.
"A growing and dangerous divide is tearing Los Angeles apart. On the one side, corporate CEOs live in their own world," said Unite Here Local 11 co-president Kurt Petersen. "On the other side, workers … juggle two and three jobs, they make impossible choices between medicine and rent."
The initiative takes aim at big corporations. If passed by voters, the executive pay ordinance would impose an additional business tax on companies with at least 1,000 employees whose top executive makes more than 50 times the median worker pay in Los Angeles. Those funds would go toward low-income housing projects, sidewalk repairs and other projects.
The additional tax would be one to 10 times the typical city business tax. According to the city clerk's office, the current city business tax is between 0.1% and 0.425% of gross receipts.
The campaign is part of a bigger political fight over the coming Olympic Games and who will benefit from them.
The executive pay initiative is one of a series of competing ballot propositions launched by union and business interests after the Los Angeles City Council voted last year to raise the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers to $30 an hour by 2028.
That vote set off a cascade of responses from the companies it affected. A business group backed by Delta and United Airlines launched a referendum to repeal the wage increase. That effort eventually failed.
The fight around the so-called "Olympic wage" is still playing out. A coalition of business interests has introduced its own ballot initiative to eliminate the city business tax entirely. In December, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson introduced a motion to delay the $30 minimum wage by two years.
To land the ballot initiative on the November ballot, campaigners have 120 days to gather around 140,000 signatures from registered voters in the city of Los Angeles.
What’s the oldest thing you have that’s still in commission?
Larry talks with LAist listeners.
A sense of purpose: Whether it's sentimental, useful or just never out of style, we all have that one item that has stuck with us through thick and thin. Listeners of AirTalk, LAist 89.3's daily news show, shared their items and the stories behind them.
Examples:A sixth grade graduation shirt signed by old classmates for sleeping in that makes a great sleep shirt; a family heirloom hookah with Arabic inscriptions from Pakistan; a flyswatter from the '60s; and a heating pad from the '70s.
Themes:
Kitchenware is a popular generational hand-me-down.
Nostalgia plays a key factor, like hearing music through a vintage amplifier with a sound that's hard to come by anymore.
Sometimes it's the most random things that bring the most efficiency.
Listen to the full conversation: to hear some of the oldest items people still find joy in using.
By Isaiah Murtaugh Barish and Justin Agrelo | The LA Local
Published October 8, 2026 12:00 PM
Mayoral candidates, from left, Fre’Drisha Dixon, Joseph Soto, Arturo Martinez, Gloria D. Gray, and Raina Carrillo, at the Inglewood Mayoral Candidate Forum held at Inglewood Unified High School on Oct. 7, 2026, in Inglewood
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Gary Coronado
/
The LA Local
)
Topline:
Inglewood Mayor James Butts didn’t show up to The LA Local’s mayoral candidate forum Wednesday night, but the five candidates challenging his bid for reelection weren’t shy about criticizing his 15-year tenure at the city’s helm. Mayoral candidates Raina Carrillo, Fre’Drisha Dixon, Gloria Gray, Arturo Martinez and Joseph Soto all joined the forum and laid out their ideas about everything from housing affordability to traffic.
Why it matters: Voting has already begun in Inglewood and will continue until Nov. 3. The stakes are high amid an ongoing dispute between the city and its major venues, and stadium and billboard interests have already poured millions into the election. Inglewood’s election season has been contentious as candidates spar with each other online and at city meetings, trading barbs and allegations of misconduct.
What candidates discussed: Central to the election is the city’s relationship with its crown jewel stadiums and fleet of video billboards, which collectively bring millions in revenue to the city’s budget and have changed the rhythm of daily life for residents. Candidates critiqued the city’s current financial arrangement with video billboard company WOW Media. They pitched a variety of solutions for the traffic jams and parking snags that are a feature of major events in the city, from barricading side streets to building an Elon Musk-inspired traffic tunnel. Some took aim at the city’s parking permit program, which charges residents in some neighborhoods for extra streetside permits.
Inglewood Mayor James Butts didn’t show up to The LA Local’s mayoral candidate forum Wednesday night, but the five candidates challenging his bid for reelection weren’t shy about criticizing his 15-year tenure at the city’s helm.
The LA Local invited Butts to attend the forum and held a chair open for him on stage throughout the event. A full video of the forum will be available online on Thursday.
Voting has already begun in Inglewood and will continue until Nov. 3. The stakes are high amid an ongoing dispute between the city and its major venues, and stadium and billboard interests have already poured millions into the election.
LA Local reporter LaMonica Peters and youth journalist Lakshmi Leon moderated the forum, asking questions gathered from The LA Local’s community survey and from the more than 100 community members in the audience.
Lead moderator, LaMonica Peters, left, reporter with The LA Local, and Lakshmi Leon, 17, student reporter and a junior at Inglewood High School, ask questions to the mayoral candidates during the Inglewood Mayoral Candidates Forum held at Inglewood High School.
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Gary Coronado
/
The LA Local
)
Nicole Sims was part of the audience in the auditorium of the former Morningside High School — temporarily the home of Inglewood High School.
The lifelong Inglewood resident said she hoped to hear ideas from the fresher faces in Inglewood politics, especially candidates who have come from the community and haven’t held elected office before.
“Just because someone has been in the office doesn’t mean they’re necessarily the best candidate to push the city forward,” Sims said.
Jessica Foard, a teacher, said she had hoped Butts would attend the forum so she and Bostic’s family could ask questions about how the mayor has handled Bostic’s case, but wasn’t surprised he didn’t attend.
“He doesn’t feel like he needs to answer to anybody,” Foard said.
Inglewood’s election season has been contentious as candidates spar with each other online and at city meetings, trading barbs and allegations of misconduct.
Wednesday’s forum remained largely cordial. Dixon called out Gray twice, asking why she hasn’t pushed harder as a council member for more transparency or information about Bostic’s death. Gray rebutted that she’s been active about both issues within the constraints of her job.
Central to the election is the city’s relationship with its crown jewel stadiums and fleet of video billboards, which collectively bring millions in revenue to the city’s budget and have changed the rhythm of daily life for residents.
Candidates critiqued the city’s current financial arrangement with video billboard company WOW Media. They pitched a variety of solutions for the traffic jams and parking snags that are a feature of major events in the city, from barricading side streets to building an Elon Musk-inspired traffic tunnel.
Some took aim at the city’s parking permit program, which charges residents in some neighborhoods for extra streetside permits.
With new development continuing around Inglewood, the candidates proposed a range of housing affordability fixes from property tax relief to affordable dwelling units, or ADUs.
Chibby Azingee-Welton, of Inglewood, snaps her fingers in agreement at the Inglewood Mayoral Candidates Forum held at Inglewood High School on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Inglewood.
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Gary Coronado
/
The LA Local
)
Anil Raj, one of the attendees, said he was impressed with Dixon’s proposals and with the passion from Martinez and Soto. Gray, he said, seemed to represent Inglewood’s past.
Inglewood’s mayoral election is a primary, meaning the top two vote-getters will move on to a runoff in the spring unless one gets more than half of votes cast by Nov. 3. Butts first needed a runoff to win office in 2011, but wrapped up dominant November wins in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Carrillo, Dixon and Soto have all made runs for mayor before. Gray, who is on the board of the West Basin Municipal Water District in addition to being a council member, is the only candidate besides Butts currently holding elected office.
Inglewood resident Sandra Jones said she hopes people will go vote.
“We can complain as citizens of this community,” Jones said, “but we actually need to get out and vote and make a change.”
Check out our voter guides
Inglewood’s ballot is packed beyond the mayor’s race with voters set to weigh in on two City Council members, three school board members and three ballot initiatives.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Destiny Torres
covers all things SoCal, from breaking news to local government, with a focus on Orange County.
Published October 8, 2026 11:30 AM
Hundreds of Orange County workers from the Teamsters Local 952 are planning to strike next Tuesday, Oct. 13.
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Photo courtesy of Teamsters Local 952
)
Topline:
More than 465 Orange County workers from the Teamsters Local 952 are planning to walk off the job next Tuesday, Oct. 13, potentially disrupting county services like road maintenance, landfill operations and other public services.
What we know: The union employees are from OC Public Works, OC Waste & Recycling, OC Community Resources and other county departments. Members include heavy equipment operators, waste workers, custodial workers and more.
How did we get here? Union officials said they asked the county to begin bargaining in 2025 and claim months went by with no “meaningful movement” until August. The previous agreement between the union and county expired in September. “The months of delays have already cost workers wages they will not recover because the county has refused to provide retroactive pay,” officials said. A county spokesperson did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.
What are workers saying? Travis Molina, power equipment operator for OC Public Works, said in a statement that no one wants to strike. “We want to be at work serving our communities,” Molina said. “We want to maintain the roads and repair our channels in preparation for storm season, and do the work Orange County residents count on us to do. But we also deserve to be valued for that work.”
What’s next? The next bargaining date has not been scheduled, according to union officials.
Julia Barajas
is following the impact of President Trump's immigration policies on Southern California communities.
Published October 8, 2026 10:17 AM
Construction workers building a housing project in California.
(
Mike Blake
/
Reuters
)
Topline:
Construction workers, housekeepers and other laborers will have an opportunity to get free Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training next week. The National Day Laborer Organizing Network will facilitate these training sessions in Los Angeles, Palmdale, Pasadena and Riverside.
Why it matters: “ A lot of folks get picked up at either Home Depots or [street] corners, and sometimes they're not given the proper equipment to perform the work that they're being hired to do,” said Kenia Alcocer, lead organizer at NDLON. “ We don't want anyone to be injured or killed on the job.”
The backstory: Workers can select their preferred location and choose from courses in English or in Spanish. Some sessions are designed for people who work in a wide range of industries — from restaurant work to housekeeping. Other sessions are specifically geared at people who work in construction.
What's next:. The courses range in length and will take place from Oct.13 through 16. Once workers complete the training, they will receive a certificate that can be presented to inspectors. NDLON will also provide free work boots for people who complete a 10-hour course.
Construction workers, housekeepers and other laborers will have an opportunity to get free Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training from Oct. 13 through 16.
The National Day Laborer Organizing Network will facilitate the courses in Los Angeles, Palmdale, Riverside and at its headquarters in Pasadena.
Some courses provide general information, including how to prevent hazardous spills and other precautions. The courses are designed for people who work in a wide range of industries — from restaurant work to housekeeping. The other sessions are specifically geared at people who work in construction.
“ A lot of folks get picked up at either Home Depots or [street] corners, and sometimes they're not given the proper equipment to perform the work that they're being hired to do,” said Kenia Alcocer, lead organizer at NDLON. “ We don't want anyone to be injured or killed on the job.”
Amid the ongoing October heat wave, she added, NDLON staff have been doing outreach at local construction sites, encouraging day laborers to sign up for the training. More than a year after the Eaton Fire, construction workers continue to help families in Altadena and Pasadena rebuild their homes.
Workers can select their preferred location and choose from courses in English or Spanish. Once workers complete the training, they will receive a certificate that can be presented to inspectors. NDLON will also provide free heavy-duty work boots for people who complete one of their 10-hour courses over the span of two days.
How to register for NDLON’s trainings
To register for the health and safety courses, you must complete this form. After selecting your preferred location and language, you will be asked to provide your contact information and shoe size.
If you have additional questions, contact Kenia Alcocer at (323) 381-6230.
