Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
SoCal Hotel Worker Strike Is On Pause
About 150 hotel workers marched in front of the InterContinental Hotel in Downtown L.A. on July 2, 2023.
(
Aaricka Washington
/
LAist
)
Topline:
After three days of picketing, hotel workers in L.A. and Orange counties are back on the job today — but that might not last long. María Hernández, a spokesperson for UNITE HERE Local 11, said the strike is on pause and that there’s still no deal.
What are hotel owners saying? Keith Grossman, an attorney who represents the hotel industry's negotiating coalition, said the hotels welcome union members back to work, and that they’re “well-prepared to service guests” if the strike continues.
Why it matters: The union represents 32,000 hotel workers, including cooks, housekeepers and dishwashers. They say they’re calling for better wages and benefits to meet the rising cost of living, especially rent. Hotel operators say elected officials should be held accountable for rising housing costs, not them.
Support for LAist comes from
The backstory: The contract for 15,000 unionized workers expired on June 30. Hotel employers have been negotiating with the union since April 20.
What's next: The union’s spokesperson said the strike could resume at any time. In an email statement, she added: “This walkout was the first of many actions that may come this summer.”
Go deeper: SoCal Hotel Workers Go On Strike
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars. -
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
Best of LAist