PRESS RELEASES Archives - Page 2 of 21

BREAKING NEWS: SoFi Stadium Workers Vote 96% to Authorize Strike Days Before FIFA World Cup Inbox

June 5, 2026

LOS ANGELES — SoFi Stadium cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, concessions workers, and food attendants have voted 96% in favor of authorizing a strike, meaning workers could walk off the job at any moment if their demands are not met. Negotiations are scheduled to continue Monday ahead of the USA v. Paraguay match on June 12th.

Living wage: Pay that reflects the true cost of living in Los Angeles, including premium pay for World Cup and other mega-events, and payment to a housing fund to build housing for hospitality workers.

Limits on AI, technology, and subcontracting: Strong protections against the erosion of union jobs through unimpeded subcontracting and technology and automation

Right to strike if ICE comes to the workplace: Workers must have the right to walk off the job if federal immigration enforcement enters the stadium and creates a reasonable fear for their safety — no worker should have to choose between their job and their freedom.

Contract negotiations with stadium food service operator Legends Global and FIFA have not had significant progress on key economic and workplace safety issues.

Cesar Zamora, Bartender, SoFi Stadium (5 years): “I’m a lifelong soccer fan, and it’s heartbreaking to see that just days before one of the biggest sporting events in the world, our employer is refusing to provide the wages, protections, and contract we need to support our families. The FIFA World Cup will generate enormous profits, but we are still fighting for basic respect and security. We deserve better, and if that means going on strike, I’m ready.”

Yolanda Fierro, Suites Runner, SoFi Stadium (6 years): “I’m one of the thousands of workers behind every meal prepared, every drink served, and every guest experience at the World Cup. Fans from around the world will come expecting an unforgettable event, and we take pride in making that happen. But no worker should have to fear being separated from their family or worry about dangerous ICE activity while simply doing their job. We deserve to feel safe, respected, and protected at work. If our voices continue to be ignored, I’m ready to strike.”

Kurt Petersen, Co-President, UNITE HERE Local 11: “SoFi Stadium cooks, bartenders and dishwashers are the true heroes of this World Cup, standing up to FIFA’s greed while defending their community against ICE intimidation. What good is the World Cup for Los Angeles when workers don’t earn enough to pay the rent and must choose between showing up and being kidnapped by ICE? If we’re forced to strike, those $100,000 FIFA suites will have nothing but bottled water and Doritos.”

In addition, the ACLU of Southern California, UNITE HERE Local 11, and LAANE have filed a formal complaint with the California Privacy Protection Agency and the California Department of Justice, calling on Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate FIFA’s accreditation process over concerns that workers’ sensitive personal information may be shared with federal agencies.

PRESS RELEASE: Tom Steyer Becomes First Gubernatorial Candidate Calls for ICE Out of FIFA World Cup Alongside SoFi Stadium Workers

May 18, 2026

Inglewood, CA: With less than a month away from the World Cup, the cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, who cook the food and make the drinks for Sofi Stadium held a press conference with Gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer ahead of negotiations.

“This summer’s World Cup should be an opportunity to show the world what makes California special – not a way for the rich to get richer on the backs of working Californians who are being priced out of their communities and terrorized by ICE,” said Steyer. “Together with UNITE HERE, I am calling on FIFA and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment to publicly commit that ICE will play no role in the 2026 World Cup, that workers will receive fair wages and safe working conditions, and that organizers will help fund affordable workforce housing for the people who make these events possible. If elected as the next governor, I will protect Californians and ensure that major international events serve the public good. I’m proud to stand with workers and immigrant communities this summer and beyond.”

“Thank you to gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer for being here and demonstrating leadership on this issue. Now more than ever, we need leaders who have the courage to stand up to ICE and protect our families!” said Issac Martinez, cook at Sofi Stadium and member of UNITE HERE Local 11.

Advocates have also called for Attorney General Bonta to immediately investigate FIFA’s accreditation process, which a complaint filed last week alleges violates the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and workers’ right to privacy under the California Constitution.

“We have been very clear, we want ICE OUT of the World Cup and for them to play NO ROLE during the games. We are seriously concerned that FIFA will hand over our most sensitive personal information and waive our rights under California law, or lose our job working the World Cup. We will not give FIFA the opportunity to share our data with any third party, including ICE and foreign countries’ intelligence agencies. We cannot celebrate the World Cup while workers, tourists, immigrant families, and local communities are made to feel unsafe. Los Angeles should be a city of welcome — not fear.” said Yolanda Fierro, Suites Runner at Sofi Stadium and member of UNITE HERE Local 11.

There is no real guarantee that ICE will not be a part of the World Cup, and workers have made the demand that in order for them, fans, and players to feel safe, a key part of their negotiations is for: FIFA to demand that ICE and Border Patrol play no role in the World Cup. FIFA must ensure that SoFi Stadium workers enjoy fair working conditions.

The union is simultaneously calling on FIFA and KSE, the stadium’s ownership group, to publicly declare that ICE play no role in the 2026 World Cup.

PRESS RELEASE: Airline Catering Workers Testify at Public Truth Commission on Working Conditions at LAX Facility

April 16, 2026

Workers serving international airlines speak out for the first time alongside labor and community leaders hosted by Holman United Methodist Church

LOS ANGELES, CA — This week, airline catering workers employed by Flying Food Group at Los Angeles International Airport publicly shared their experiences before a Truth Commission composed of community leaders at Holman United Methodist Church.

Over several hours of often emotional testimony testimony before the Commission, more than a dozen Flying Food Group workers and advocates described unsafe conditions, wage theft and poverty wages, sexual harassment, labor violations, and retaliation for speaking out.

Flying Food Group workers are responsible for preparing and packaging meals and beverages for international airlines including Japan Airlines, ANA, Lufthansa, and Air France—serving thousands of passengers traveling through LAX each day. Despite playing a critical role in global travel, many workers say their voices have long gone unheard.

Many workers described safety hazards, including a number than were the subject of citations from the state’s enforcement agency, Cal/OSHA.

“Water mixed with bleach splashed into my eyes, and I felt a severe burning sensation. I reported the incident to my supervisor, who told me to go to the restroom to wash my eyes, because the designated eyewash station was completely blocked by flight carts and, furthermore, did not contain the specialized water required for eye irrigation. My doctor told me that I could have gone blind if it had reached my cornea,” said Sonia Ceron, dishwasher at Flying Food Group for 8 years. “Flying Food Group is a company that does not value us; we deserve to feel safe. I hope that you, the commissioners, can hear us.”

Over the last several years, five different government agencies have issued citations or complaints against Flying Food Group for labor or safety violations. These include six citations by the City of Los Angeles for violations of the airport minimum wage by it or its staffing agencies; six citations by Cal/OSHA for violations of workplace safety rules; 10 citations by California Highway Patrol for operating heavy trucks without proper licenses and other issues; a citation by the California Labor Commissioner for violating the state’s post-Covid right-to-return-to–work law; and a complaint by the National Labor Relations Board for violating federal labor laws through threats, surveillance, interrogations and retaliation. These citations and other complaints were presented to the Truth Commission over the course of the hearing.

Commissioners included Yvonne Wheeler, President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; Rev. William Smart Jr, President and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Southern California; Frank Lima, General Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Fire Fighters; Kevin Riley, Director of the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program; Will Mitchell, District Director for California State Assembly District 61. Assemblymember Tina McKinnor; and Chloe Osmer, Executive Director of the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, and leading authority on workers rights and wage theft.

Truth Commissioner Yvonne Wheeler, said: “I call on the City of Los Angeles not to renew the license of Flying Food Group. Get somebody else in. Through it all these workers showed their strength. Their fight is not just about one workplace.  It’s about respect. It’s about dignity, it’s about justice, for all working people.”

Truth Commissioner Rev. William Smart Jr, said, “ We cannot just hear a scared story, a scared story calls you into action, we are called into action today! The Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California will walk with you and fight with you and be there for you!”

Truth Commissioner Kevin Riley said “What I saw in this room are workers demanding what the law already guarantees them and striving to hold an employer accountable to their legal responsibilities. You are sounding an important alarm — so that we don’t end up with our own Triangle Shirtwaist disaster. I applaud your courage in speaking out, and I stand with you in your efforts.”

Truth Commissioner Will Mitchell, said, ”What happens at LAX doesn’t stay at LAX, it reflects the standards we are willing to accept for workers across California. Your voices have been heard and will be taken very seriously by Assemblymember McKinnor and her office.”

Truth Commissioner Chloe Osmer, said “We heard today from workers at Flying Food Group about the devastating impact of wage theft on their lives. We heard from workers about repeated violations by Flying Food Group of the Living Wage Ordinance in LA. It’s called Living Wage for a reason, because you can’t live on less.”

BREAKING NEWS: On Eve of Trial, Flying Food Group Admits to Violating Worker Rights, in Settlement of Major Labor Case

March 26, 2026

Airline caterer for international flights has also been cited for wage theft, unsafe conditions, and other labor violations, despite license to operate from City of Los Angeles

Los Angeles: Today, Flying Food Group, an airline caterer for major airlines that has been at the center of controversy for allegations of unsafe conditions and labor abuse, agreed to settle a high-profile case at the National Labor Relations Board.

In a highly unusual step, Flying Food Group was required to admit that it had violated workers’ federal labor law protections as part of the settlement. The outcome is considered a major victory for workers who have been speaking out about what they have alleged is abusive treatment at work.

The day before Flying Food Group workers testified at LA City Council about the fire they experienced in their workplace in January, which coincidentally was the 115th anniversary of the deadly Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. This fire was one of the deadliest industrial disasters in U.S. history, causing the deaths of 146 garment workers—123 women and girls and 23 men. UNITE HERE is a proud successor union to the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, the union to which some Triangle factory workers belonged.

In December 2024, following a two year investigation, the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board issued a multi-part complaint against the airline caterer alleging numerous labor violations. The case was set for trial on March 31, which will now be averted due to the settlement.

Under the settlement, after denying the allegations for years, Flying Food Group has admitted that it took part in an illegal effort to oust the workers’ union. Among other conduct, the company admits that multiple members of management interrogated workers about their union sympathies and activities and assisted in an effort to remove the union through a decertification campaign. This conduct occurred during or in the aftermath of a worker strike for better wages and conditions.

The Company also agreed to pay $50,000 to a worker whom the NLRB complaint accused Flying Food Group of firing because he participated in union activities and in order to discourage employees from engaging in those activities.

Finally, the settlement also requires that Flying Food Group refrain from engaging in a long list of violations of workers’ rights going forward – and, importantly, provides that if the Flying Food Group fails to comply with the settlement’s terms, the NLRB can reissue the complaint, deem all allegations admitted, and obtain a federal court judgment enforcing a full remedy — all without a trial.

The settlement also requires the Company to formally pledge to its employees that it fully respect workers’ rights under federal labor law going forward and will not do any of the following acts, among others:

Obstruct doors to discourage workers from participating in protected activities
Watch workers, or make it appear that workers are being watched, to find out about their union activities
Promise workers benefits to discourage them from supporting a union
Threaten workers with discipline because they engage in union or other protected activity
Solicit workers to sign petitions to decertify UNITE HERE Local 11
Ask workers if they have signed or wish to sign a petition to remove the Union
Actively solicit, encourage, promote, or provide more than ministerial aid in the initiation, signing, or filing of a worker petition to decertify the Union
Suspend or fire workers because of their Union membership or support
The first item relates to the Company’s locking of an exit door from the outside on a day that workers’ planned a peaceful protest, conduct which also resulted in a citation by Cal/OSHA.

The settlement is the latest of a long series of legal citations. Altogether, over the last several years, five different government agencies have issued citations or complaints against Flying Food Group for labor or safety violations. These include six citations by the City of Los Angeles for violations of the airport minimum wage by it or its staffing agencies six citations by Cal/OSHA for violations of workplace safety rules, 10 citation by California Highway Patrol for operating heavy trucks without proper licenses and other issues, and a citation by the California Labor Commissioner for violating the state’s post-Covid right-to-return-to–work law.

This is the second settlement the company has entered into since LAWA informed the company it was looking into allegations that “raised questions related to FFG’s trustworthiness, quality, fitness and capacity.” Last month, Flying Food Group also reached a settlement nearly three years after OSHA cited the company for illegally locking a door; as noted above, this issue was also included in the NLRB charges.

“I am so thankful that we are finally seeing some recourse for the violations this company has committed to our basic rights. It has been over three years since me and my coworkers have been fighting for respect, and there is still so much to go. But it is at least good to see the company has admitted to violating our rights,” said Monica Lira workers at Flying Food Group.

“The bravery and commitment workers showed despite working for a company like Flying Food Group is true inspiration. This company deserves to be held accountable for all of the wrongdoing and damage they have caused, and we are glad this settlement starts to do that, though there is still much to be done,” said Susan Minato, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11.

As a next step, workers are planning to hold a Truth Commission on April 13th to talk about their experiences and the need to hold Flying Food Group accountable so that workers are safe and treated with dignity and respect.

BREAKING NEWS: LA Hotel and Stadium Workers Invoke Safety Language, Say They Have Right to Refuse to Work During ICE Presence at World Cup

March 24, 2026

Unions says hosting of federal immigration agents creates “unusually dangerous conditions” for workers, demands that companies refuse to host ICE and Border Patrol

Los Angeles, CA — UNITE HERE Local 11, representing 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona, has formally notified hotels, stadiums, and other employers that the presence of ICE or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Border Patrol) agents on their property constitute “unusually dangerous conditions” under the parties’ collective bargaining agreements, triggering workers’ contractual right to refuse unsafe work.

In a letter, the Union cited heavily armed federal presence, protests, and a pattern of rapidly escalating violence connected to recent immigration enforcement actions. The Union emphasized that workers must not be placed in volatile situations beyond the scope of their normal duties.

Recent incidents across the country — including fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents — have sparked widespread protests and heightened community tension. On October 14, 2025, the County of Los Angeles proclaimed a local emergency, finding that federal immigration enforcement actions posed extreme peril to county residents’ safety.

“Our members should not be forced into the middle of heavily armed enforcement operations,” said UNITE HERE Co President Kurt Petersen. “Our contracts guarantee a safe workplace, and if hotels and stadiums choose to allow ICE onto their properties, our workers have the right to walk out.”

The Union has asked hotels and other workplaces – including stadiums – to refrain from having ICE or Border Patrol personnel lodge at or use their property to stage their activities during this period of heightened public attention. If hotels, stadiums, or other companies choose to do so, the Union is requesting advance notice and confirmation that workers will be allowed to leave or refuse work without reprisal.

As Los Angeles prepares to host the World Cup this June, the Union warned that the federal government’s promised increase of federal enforcement activity during the mega-event makes safety concerns especially urgent.

“We stood together to protect guests and workers during COVID,” Union leaders said in their letter. “We must do so again to ensure the safety of our workplaces and communities.”

PRESS RELEASE: Fair Games Coalition Launches Overpaid CEO Tax to Fund Housing and Sidewalk Repairs Ahead of LA 2028

January 14, 2026

Los Angeles: Outside the Tesla Diner in Hollywood, the Fair Games Coalition, comprised of community leaders, labor organizations, and advocates, announced the launch of the Overpaid CEO Tax Initiative, a people-powered ballot measure to ensure that corporations that contribute to extreme wealth inequality pay their fare share so that working families in Los Angeles can thrive.

Ahead of the Olympic & Paralympic Games in 2028, the initiative would progressively tax large corporations whose CEOs earn more than 50 times their median worker in Los Angeles, generating more than half a billion per year to reinvest directly into Los Angeles communities.

Los Angeles is one of the least affordable cities in the world. Housing costs continue to soar, grocery prices are skyrocketing, and critical neighborhood infrastructure like streets and sidewalks remain in disrepair. At the same time, compensation for corporate executives has reached staggering levels — in 2024, CEOs at the nation’s largest companies earned an average of 281 times more than their typical worker.

The Overpaid CEO Tax Initiative would ensure corporations that overpay executives while underpaying workers contribute their fair share, with the anticipated half-billion dollar revenue allocated as follows:

$350 Million annually to build tens of thousands of housing units for working people such as teachers, grocery workers, firefighters, and hotel room attendants.
$100 Million to repair over 100 miles of sidewalks every year.
$25 Million for after-school programs like LA’s Best, serving over 12,000 students each year and giving working families safe, high quality care for their kids.
$25 Million to support 25 grocery stores annually bringing healthy food choices into areas with no decent options.
The Fair Games Coalition outlined the initiative’s path to the November 2026 ballot and called on organizations and residents to join a broad coalition to collect signatures and mobilize voters.

“This matters now more than ever, as Los Angeles prepares to host the Olympics and Paralympics. A fair Olympics requires a fair economy — and the Overpaid CEO Tax is part of that deal. As the city gets ready to host these mega events and forces like Airbnb, Delta and the American Hotel and Lodging Association try to control the wealth, this tax will even the playing field for the working families of this city,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11.

Lisandro Preza, member of UNITE HERE Local 11 who works as a cashier at LAX for a company called Paradies Lagardère said, “This Overpaid CEO tax will be a lifeline for so many angelenos like myself. To stay housed, I have to count every penny. If I make one mistake, I have to ask my family for money just to survive. That stress makes my health worse, trapping me in a cycle that feels impossible to escape. I am one emergency away from homelessness. I can’t cover emergencies, I can’t save, and I can’t even imagine a vacation or a stable future.”

“Our streets are in need of repair. Our sidewalks are crumbling. We see the same neighborhoods left behind again and again. The Overpaid CEO Tax will fund the city to build, maintain, repair, and make desperately necessary infrastructure improvements, including improving public streets, protecting tree canopy, and repairing sidewalks. Our members know first hand how crucial and necessary these repairs are, and we are ready to get this initiative on the ballot,” said Raymond Meza, of SEIU 721 the largest public sector union in Southern California, representing over 100,000 workers, including in street services.

“UFCW Local 770 represents more than 27,000 workers across healthcare, grocery, food processing, and cannabis, and our members support this initiative because we want a Los Angeles that works for everyone. Since 1978, CEO pay has exploded while worker pay has barely moved, creating the extreme inequality we see today. In one of the nation’s largest food-producing states, no neighborhood should be a food desert. The Overpaid CEO Tax is about finding a solution to extreme income inequality, fixing a broken system, and making sure working families can put fresh, healthy food on the table.” – Kathy Finn, President, UFCW Local 770

“With the housing crisis deepening and inequality growing, we must prepare for 2028 by making sure corporations and the wealthiest pay what they owe instead of pushing the costs onto working families. While CEOs profit from underpaying workers, too many Angelenos are struggling to make ends meet in their own neighborhoods. The Overpaid CEO Tax Initiative would help ensure that the people who live, work, and raise families here, who do not treat this city as a playground, get the support and services our communities need to truly thrive.” – Cecily Myart-Cruz, President of UTLA, which represents 35,000 public educators.

Executive Director of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Rev. Jennifer Gutierrez said “This ballot initiative is not a political issue. It is a moral and spiritual imperative for us to build the Beloved Community – where our neighbors can live safely in their homes, our streets are beautifully repaired, our children have adequate support to succeed in school, and every family has access to fresh food.”

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The Fair Games Coalition is composed of more than 75 organizations including unions, community groups, housing advocates, and immigration leaders.

Airline catering workers picket at LAX 12/17/25

LAX Airport Workers Rally as LA City Council President Attempts to Lower Wages and Give Break to Airlines

December 17, 2025

In a shameful move, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson introduced legislation to take money from hard-working Angelenos and give the trillion-dollar airline industry a break

Airport workers at LAX who are members of SEIU-United Service Workers West and UNITE HERE Local 11 are sounding the alarm after Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson introduced a motion to substantially weaken the Olympic Wage Ordinance, which was passed by the City Council in May and survived a failed referendum effort paid for by airlines and hotel corporations.

Under the existing law, tourism workers are on track to reach $30 an hour by 2028, a long-overdue wage that reflects the high cost of living in Los Angeles and the essential work LAX workers do to keep our region’s economy running. Harris-Dawson’s new motion would delay those increases until 2030, effectively taking money out of workers’ pockets with the lowest paid full-time workers without health coverage losing nearly $35,000 as a result of the proposed shift and handing it back to billion-dollar airline corporations, while the airline industry is expected to surpass $1 trillion for the first time ever, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s financial projections. The motion also proposes creating major loopholes that would result in even further losses of healthcare and wages to airport workers and exclude hotel restaurant workers.

Workers call the move unprecedented, shameful, and a betrayal of the commitments the City made to the people who keep LAX running. Airport workers, many of whom struggled through the pandemic and continue to face compounding crises of rising rents, food prices, and transportation costs, are demanding that Council President Harris-Dawson immediately withdraw the motion, and that Mayor Karen Bass publicly affirm that she stands with airport workers, not corporate airlines.

Fair Games and Immigration Groups Call for Resignation of LA28’s Chairperson Wasserman in Response to Welcoming Trump’s MAGAfication of Board

December 3, 2025

Los Angeles, CA: Dozens of members of the Fair Games coalition—unions, community organizations, faith leaders, housing advocates, and immigration groups like UNITE HERE Local 11, CARECEN, NDLON, CLUE, LAANE, UFCW 770, UTLA and others—gathered to deliver a letter signed by hundreds and then hold a press conference outside of LA28’s Los Angeles offices.

While several individuals walked by wearing LA28 emblazoned merch, security threatened the peaceful coalition with arrest if they did not leave. Members of LA28 refused to go down to receive the letter.

The coalition’s demand for Wasserman to resign came after mid November’s announcement that the LA28 Organizing Committee has “gone MAGA” by appointing Kevin McCarthy, Diane Hendricks, Reince Priebus, Patrick Dumont, and Ken Moelis to its governing board. The coalition denounced the ways in which Casey Wasserman, Chairman of LA28, has kowtowed to Trump on security and undermined confidence in the Games’ independence and integrity.

The Fair Games Coalition has called for LA28 to commit to keeping ICE and all other immigration enforcement agencies away from the Games and out of the region. The safety and dignity of immigrant communities must not be compromised.

“LA28 can run the Trump Olympics. But LA28 cannot run the Los Angeles Olympics. If Casey Wasserman cannot see the difference and thinks appointing anti-union, anti-immigrant, pro-Trump billionaires is acceptable, then Casey Wasserman must resign — immediately,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, a member of Fair Games Coalition.

Rev. Andy Schweibert of Immanuel Presbyterian and member of Fair Games Coalition said, “We have seen the impact that this administration’s tactics to separate immigrant families and stoke fear has had on our members and families in our community. Our nation is facing a moral crisis. The Olympic and Paralympic games should lift all our communities, not create fear and uncertainty by aligning with federal forces who are endangering the safety of our community. LA28 and IOC must demand the immediate removal of ICE from Los Angeles and create a strong wall between the games and the administration’s oversight.”

Jose Madera of National Day Laborer Network said “ICE has detained thousands of community members in LA over the past few months. But to this day, LA28 has not publicly taken a stand in defence of LA’s immigrant communities. An Olympics and Paralympics security plan that gives control to a federal administration that is already attacking immigrants in our city and across the nation puts our entire community at risk.”

“We are demanding LA28 stand by and protect all workers and the rights of immigrants. We stand in solidarity with our community to demand protections for each other and all working-class Angelenos.” said Evelyn Hernandez, of CARECEN LA, TPS residency Coordinator.

Outside a brown hotel building, workers with red t-shirts and drums picket with signs reading "UNITE HERE Local 11 ON STRIKE" and "UNITE HERE Local 11 EN HUELGA"

Workers at Aimbridge-operated hotels in Los Angeles and Philadelphia strike during event-filled weekend, UNITE HERE reports

November 8, 2025

Workers at hotels owned by RLJ Lodging Trust on both coasts walk off the job in effort to win wages and benefits that enable them to afford to raise families in the cities where they work

CONTACT: Rachel Sulkes | [email protected] | 602-327-4084

PHOTOS AVAILABLE; CLICK HERE

LOS ANGELES: In the shadow of the Hollywood Bowl, hotel workers at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Hollywood started a picket line at 6 AM local time today.

The 160-room hotel, owned by RLJ Lodging Trust and operated by Aimbridge Hospitality, expected high occupancy this weekend for one of the last Hollywood Bowl concerts of the year.

In Philadelphia, workers at the Wyndham Historic District hotel—also owned by RLJ Lodging Trust and operated by Aimbridge—walked off the job earlier today, just ahead of the Thanksgiving travel season.

“Whether we strike is up to the employers and how willing they are to pay us fairly for the work we do,” said Maria Christina Velasquez, a shop steward with UNITE HERE Local 11 and laundry attendant at the Hilton Garden Inn Hollywood since 2019. “We’re ready for anything.”

“Hotel workers like me go on strike to win raises that keep up with the rising cost of living, pensions, high quality union healthcare, and safe workloads,” said Brent Allen, a restaurant server and member of UNITE HERE Local 274 at the Wyndham Historic District since 2023. “We’re going to welcome millions of visitors to Philly in 2026, but most of us can’t pay our basic bills. We deserve to be able to live dignified lives but that can only happen if the hotel owner and operator pay us what we deserve.”

RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE: RLJ) owns a portfolio of nearly 100 hotels across 23 states and the District of Columbia. The company just this week announced a year-over-year drop in both revenue and net income. According to campaign filings, between July and September of this year, RLJ Lodging Trust contributed $25,000 to the effort to defeat a $30 minimum wage for hospitality workers that the Los Angeles City Council passed in May.

Aimbridge hospitality operates hotels across the world under known brands like Hilton, Hyatt, and Windham. Aimbridge-operated properties were among the last to settle during the 2023–2024 Southern California Hotel Strike, the largest hotel strike in modern U.S. history.

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UNITE HERE Local 11 is more than 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona who work in hotels, restaurants, universities, convention centers, and airports.

UNITE HERE LOCAL 274 is 4,000 private-sector hotel and food service workers at stadiums, universities, cafeterias, and hotels throughout the Philadelphia region.

Both are affiliates of UNITE HERE, a labor union representing 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.

PHOTOS

Los Angeles

Philadelphia

PRESS RELEASE: LA’s Historic Original Pantry Café To Open Early 2026! UNITE HERE Local 11 and New Owner Leo Pustilnikov Ink Deal to Save Restaurant

September 11, 2025

Los Angeles, CA: The Original Pantry Café workers, some of whom have served Angelenos for more than 40 years, will return to their jobs after a landmark agreement between the new owner and Real Estate Entrepreneur Leo Pustilnikov and UNITE HERE Local 11. Together, they celebrated the announcement of reopening of the beloved 101-year old restaurant with city leaders, community allies and loyal patrons. Workers were joined by Los Angeles council members, Ysabel Jurado, Curren Price and dozens more outside the Pantry today.

Now, under new ownership, the Pantry will reopen with its remarkable workers, the union and a renewed commitment to remain a cornerstone of Los Angeles. The Pantry is expected to reopen January 1st, 2026.

The deal comes six months after Richard J. Riordan Trust, the restaurant’s former owner, abruptly shuttered the Pantry after workers insisted that any new ownership must protect their jobs and honor their union. Thanks to a community-led campaign—including protests, pancake fundraisers, and public pressure—workers and allies kept the fight alive.

Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11 said, “That the Original Pantry will reopen is not just a union victory — it is a Los Angeles victory. It’s a love story with a storybook ending, arriving at a moment when our city needs it most. The Pantry’s dishwashers, cooks, and servers — with more than 300 years of service between them — never gave up. They are true heroes of Los Angeles. Let’s go eat some pancakes!”

Real Estate Entrepreneur and new owner of the Original Pantry Cafe Leo Pustilnikov said, “The resilience of the Pantry is in many ways proof of the resilience of Downtown as a whole. Both have had ups and downs and both will emerge stronger and more vibrant for future generations of Angelenos”

“The reopening of the Pantry could not have happened without the determination of its workers. I am proud to have helped facilitate the conversations with the new ownership that made this agreement possible,” said Councilmember Ysabel Jurado. “By bringing people together at the table and standing with our workers, we have turned their fight into a lasting victory for Downtown LA and all of Los Angeles.”

Jesus Moran, a server at the Original Pantry for 48 years said “We’re so happy for this new resolution! We hope to serve Los Angeles for another 100 years! To our customers, thank you for your support during our events, and to UNITE HERE Local 11 and Mr. Leo for bringing us back. We look forward to serving lots of pancakes again!”

Rev. Mark Hallahan, a member of CLUE, said “CLUE is elated to celebrate the Original Pantry’s reopening with the Workers who fought to ensure that sacred hospitality will continue to be offered here in the heart of downtown. We give thanks to God for the just resolution before us and pray that the Pantry will continue to be a place where folks can gather together in community and break bread that is served with love and justice”