The key point of contention between the hotels and Unite Here Local 11, the union representing the hospitality workers, is wages in the high-cost Southern California region. Workers claim that they have to commute from long distances because they cannot afford to live near their workplaces. They are demanding an immediate $5-an-hour raise, followed by additional increases.
Lilia Sotelo, a housekeeper at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel, stated, “Personally, I’m on strike because I can’t pay the rent. Food is too expensive. Our quality of life has declined since the pandemic.” Sotelo currently earns $19.80 an hour and pays $1,800 a month for a two-bedroom apartment in Hawthorne suburb.
Last week, thousands of hotel workers represented by Local 11 went on a three-day strike at 21 hotels in downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica, impacting the busy July Fourth holiday weekend and a large anime convention that attracted tens of thousands of visitors.
The Coordinated Bargaining Group, which represents the hotels involved in negotiations, stated that they have offered to resume bargaining with the union by proposing potential meeting dates. However, the union has not responded to their offers.
Keith Grossman, spokesperson for the Coordinated Bargaining Group, expressed his frustration, saying, “Unite Here Local 11’s refusal to meet and negotiate is harming our employees and damaging Los Angeles’ reputation among tourists.”
In addition to the major hotels near the international airport, hotel workers are also striking at the Holiday Inn, Fairfield Inn, Aloft, Four Points Sheraton, Hotel June, and the Westin.
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