BREAKING NEWS: SoCal Hotel Workers On Strike
Southern California: This morning, thousands of cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, servers, bellmen, and front desk agents at multiple properties walked out on the largest multi-hotel strike in the local’s history.
Jennifer Flores, Front Desk Supervisor at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown said “For 14 years I saw how my mother worked as a housekeeper and fought hard to raise me. I am striking because it is my turn to fight for a better future for me and my son.”
“Our members were devastated first by the pandemic, and now by the greed of their bosses,” says Kurt Petersen, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11. “The industry got bailouts while we got cuts. Now, the hotel negotiators decided to take a four-day holiday instead of negotiating. Shameful.”
The walkout comes after the biggest hotel in LA, the Westin Bonaventure, came to an agreement just a day before contracts expired.
On June 8, hotel workers voted 96% in favor of authorizing a strike. The union is seeking to create a hospitality workforce housing fund, in addition to better wages, healthcare benefits, pension and safer workloads. In a UNITE HERE Local 11 survey, 53% of workers said that they either have moved in the past 5 years or will move in the near future because of soaring housing costs. Hotel workers report commuting hours from areas like Apple Valley, Palmdale, California City and Victorville.
During the pandemic, hotels received $15 billion in federal bailouts and cut jobs and guest services such as daily room cleaning. In 2023, hotel profits in Los Angeles and Orange County exceeded pre-pandemic levels, yet hospitality workers continue to struggle to afford a place to live in the cities where they work.
Southern California will be the first city in modern history to host back-to-back the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028. In recent decades, these mega sports events have left local governments indebted for years and have permanently displaced millions of poor residents.
BREAKING NEWS: Westin Bonaventure First to Reach Deal As Historic Strike Looms for Dozens of SoCal Hotels
Los Angeles, CA: A day before contracts covering 15,000 hotel workers expire, the Westin Bonaventure hotel, Los Angeles’ largest hotel, reached a historic agreement with its workers.
“With these extraordinary raises, I will no longer have to choose between paying my rent and putting food on the table for my family,” said Nancy Cerrato, general clean public areas, housekeeping department. “We have given our lives to this industry. We deserve respect and to be able to afford to live in the city where we work.”
The Westin Bonaventure emerges as the leader in fair wages and benefits for its workers while dozens of hotels including the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton LA Live, Beverly Hilton, Fairmont Miramar, and Anaheim Hilton continue to drag their feet after months of negotiations.
A strike could be called as early as the 4th of July weekend for the remaining hotel properties across Southern California.
Once the contract is ratified, the 600 workers at the Bonaventure will enjoy:
- Unprecedented wage increases to keep pace with the soaring cost of housing in Southern California
- Affordable, excellent family healthcare
- Humane and safe staffing that will return jobs and hours to pre-pandemic levels
- Pension contribution increases so that workers can retire with dignity
- Numerous improvements, including historic Equal Justice language that, among other things, will provide access to union jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals and ban the use of E-Verify in hiring.
“We applaud the Westin Bonaventure and Peter Zen for putting the workers and our city first,” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11. “LA is the world’s most important tourist destination, with the World Cup and Olympics coming back to back in 2026 and 2028. This agreement takes steps ensuring that workers who work in LA will be able to live in LA. Now the rest of the industry needs to step up. If they continue to be greedy and short-sighted, workers will strike.”
EYEWITNESS NEWS ABC 7
Nearly 200 workers and multiple elected officials were arrested in Los Angeles yesterday.
They were demonstrating for livable wages with @UNITEHERE11.
Arrested council member Hugo Soto-Martinez said "People who work in LA should be able to live in LA" pic.twitter.com/pJjvfvVaxD
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) June 23, 2023
More Perfect Union – Brenda Mendoza Profile
NEW: 15,000 hotel workers in LA are gearing up for the largest hotel strike in modern US history.
LA’s hotel industry is raking in more profits than before the pandemic but refuses to offer workers even a penny more, and many can't pay rent.
Workers are ready to shut LA down. pic.twitter.com/hXFYLYK1C4
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) June 14, 2023
96% VOTED TO AUTHORIZE A STRIKE
The strike authorization vote comes after more than a month of failed negotiations with our hotel employers. Our key demands are an immediate $5 an hour wage increase to keep pace with the soaring cost of housing; affordable family healthcare; a pension that will enable workers to retire with security; and safe and humane workloads.
SoCal Hotel Workers Authorize Largest Industry Wide Strike in U.S History, 96% YES
Los Angeles, CA: The region’s largest hospitality union, UNITE HERE Local 11, representing over 32,000 room attendants, cooks, dishwashers, front desk agents, servers and food service workers, voted to authorize a strike today.
UNITE HERE Local 11 could call for a strike at dozens of hotels with more than 15,000 workers as early as July 4th weekend. This would be the largest hotel worker strike in modern US industry.
During the pandemic, hotels received $15 billion in federal bailouts and cut jobs and guest services such as daily room cleaning. In 2023, Hotel profits in Los Angeles and Orange County exceeded pre-pandemic levels, yet hospitality workers continue to struggle to afford a place to live in the cities where they work.
Top on the list of concerns for hotel workers is the rising cost of housing. In a UNITE HERE Local 11 survey, 53% of workers said that they either have moved in the past 5 years or will move in the near future because of soaring housing costs.
The strike authorization vote comes after more than a month of failed negotiations with hotel employers–including Hyatt, Hilton, Highgate, Accor, IHG, and Marriott. The union’s key demands are an immediate $5 an hour wage increase to keep pace with the soaring cost of housing; affordable family healthcare; a pension that will enable workers to retire with security, and a safe and humane workload. Negotiations began on April 20 but the hotel industry has yet to respond with any wage proposals.
“I voted yes to strike because I commute two hours from my home in Apple Valley to downtown Los Angeles. I deserve to make enough money to live near where I work.” said Brenda Mendoza, a uniform attendant at the JW Marriott LA Live.
“I am ready to strike for our affordable health insurance, because my chronic illness will not wait.” said Lupe Pitones, Front Office PBX, Westin Bonaventure Hotel.
“Hotel workers who work in the booming Los Angeles’ tourism industry must be able to live in Los Angeles,” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11. “The industry shamelessly exploited the pandemic and is now reaping greater profits than ever before. Yet workers cannot afford to pay the rent. This 96% vote to authorize a strike sends a clear message to the industry that workers have reached their limit and are prepared to strike to secure a living wage.”
Southern California will be the first city in modern history to host back-to-back the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028. In recent decades, these mega sports events have left local governments indebted for years and have permanently displaced millions of poor residents. UNITE HERE Local 11 is calling on the industry and political leadership to use the events to transform tourism jobs into family sustaining jobs and solve the housing crisis.
