Hotel Workers in Southern California Stage Massive Strike for Improved Pay and Benefits

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A significant number of hotel workers in Southern California took a collective stand on Sunday, initiating a strike to demand better compensation and enhanced benefits. This action, touted as the largest strike in the union’s history, witnessed cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, servers, bellmen, and front desk agents picketing outside major hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties, coinciding with the surge in summer tourism.

Following a resounding 96% approval from Unite Here Local 11 members last month, the strike was authorized. The union’s objectives encompass improved wages, enhanced healthcare benefits, increased pension contributions, and reduced workloads, as workers seek fair treatment.

In addition to these demands, the union is advocating for the establishment of a “hospitality workforce housing fund” to aid employees in coping with the exorbitant living costs in greater Los Angeles. Numerous workers currently endure long commutes due to their inability to afford residences near their workplaces.

Union co-president Kurt Petersen expressed the devastating impact of the pandemic on members and highlighted the subsequent greed of their employers. He stated, “The industry received bailouts while we faced cutbacks.”

Contract agreements for over 60 hotels, including renowned chains like Marriott and Hilton, expired at midnight on Friday. This strike affects approximately half of the union’s represented hospitality workforce of 32,000 individuals across Southern California and Arizona.

While a recent agreement was reached with the largest employer, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles, involving over 600 union workers, negotiations with other hotels have reached an impasse. Union officials have been accused by a coalition of more than 40 hotels engaged in discussions of canceling a scheduled bargaining session and refusing to cooperate. The hotel group stated that wage increases of $2.50 per hour in the initial 12 months and $6.25 over four years have been proposed, but the union has stuck to its original demand made two months ago, seeking up to a 40% wage increase and over 28% rise in benefit costs.

Anticipated and prepared for, the work stoppage will not hinder the operations of these properties, ensuring that guests will continue to be attended to during this disruption, according to Keith Grossman, spokesperson for the coalition.

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• Hotel Workers in Southern California Strike for Better Pay and Benefits
• Unite Here Local 11
• Marriott
• Hilton
• Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
• Unite Here Local 11 Twitter