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SoCal Hotel Strike Reaches Its Second Wave
About 150 hotel workers marched around in a loop in front of InterContinental Hotels downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, July 2.
(
Aaricka Washington
/
LAist
)
Topline:
Thousands of unionized hotel workers walked off the job today, marking a second wave of strikes.
Why now: Monday's walkouts are affecting eight hotels near LAX. Kurt Petersen, co-president of their union, Unite Here Local 11, says, "We decided that we would be strategic in how we struck. Fourth of July weekend we decided the busiest areas were downtown because of the anime convention. The Fourth of July holiday Santa Monica was booming and so now we're rolling into another area that has an uptick in business where our members are ready."
Are you here in LA on holiday? Better not be at the Holiday Inn LAX because those workers are ON STRIKE. #SoCalHotelStrike pic.twitter.com/7XVmoPjUBl
— UNITE HERE Local 11 (@UNITEHERE11) July 10, 2023
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This comes after the hotel workers took a pause last week to go back to work.
Why it matters: Unite Here Local 11 represents 32,000 hotel workers, including cooks, housekeepers and dishwashers. Unionized workers from 60 area hotels are demanding an immediate $5 an hour raise with raises totaling $11 in 3 years. Other requests include a hospitality workforce housing fund, affordable health care and manageable staffing workloads.
The backstory: Their contract expired June 30 and negotiations between hotel employers and the union have been going on since April.
Go deeper: LA's rent crisis pushes workers to the picket line.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
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