Why It Matters
In recent months, workers from various industries in Southern California have voiced their grievances by threatening to strike or walking off the job. This concerted effort reflects an uncommon level of unity among different unions as they fight for improved wages and working conditions.
At the massive ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, dockworkers caused disruptions for weeks until they reached a preliminary agreement in June. Meanwhile, screenwriters have been picketing outside Hollywood studios for approximately two months.
Hugo Soto-Martinez, a member of the Los Angeles City Council and former organizer for Unite Here Local 11, highlights the widespread frustration among workers in various industries, particularly among younger individuals who have witnessed growing inequality and vanishing opportunities. He emphasizes the impact of issues like homelessness and the high cost of housing, which resonate with people in a more tangible way.
The hotel workers’ strike coincides with the start of the busy summer tourism season, and labor leaders aim to leverage this momentum.
According to the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, tourism in the city reached its highest levels since the pandemic in the previous year. Approximately 46 million people visited, contributing to a total business sales of $34.5 billion in 2022, reaching 91% of the record set in 2019.
However, for many workers like Diana Rios-Sanchez, a housekeeping supervisor at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, the pay has failed to keep up with inflation. As she questions the sustainability of living in Los Angeles with her three children in a one-bedroom apartment, she emphasizes the disparity between the hard work they put in at hotels and the lack of care they receive.
Critics argue that simply demanding higher wages doesn’t address the deeper issues that have contributed to the exorbitant cost of living in California.
Background
The union has been engaged in negotiations for a new contract since April, and in June, its members approved a strike.
The union is requesting an immediate $5 per hour wage increase for housekeepers, whose current hourly wages are $20 and $25, respectively. Additionally, they seek annual raises of $3 per hour for each year of a three-year contract.
In contrast, the hotels have offered to raise the pay of housekeepers currently earning $25 per hour in Beverly Hills and downtown Los Angeles to over $31 per hour by January 2027, as stated by Mr. Grossman.
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, a significant hotel in downtown Los Angeles, announced on Thursday that it had managed to avoid a walkout by reaching a contract agreement with its workers.
These agreements made in the current year will establish pay levels ahead of the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, both of which are expected to attract a large number of tourists to the region.
What’s Next
According to Mr. Petersen, the strike will continue for multiple days. The Hotel Association of Los Angeles has stated that hotels will be able to maintain their services to visitors.
Reporting by Anna Betts.
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