HOTELS

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Faith and community leaders in Santa Monica held a “Truth Commission” on November 16 in response to violence against picketing hotel workers at the Fairmont Miramar and the exploitation of unhoused migrant workers brought in to replace striking workers at the Le Meridien Delfina.

The event featured 9 Commissioners, including former Los Angeles Councilman Mike Bonin, Santa Monica Human Services Commissioner Luis Barrera Castañón, and Ana Grande, Executive Director of the Program for Tortured Victims.

“Due to staff shortages, I did the work of 3 or 4 people,” shared Alexander Gallego, who recently arrived from Colombia and an unhoused migrant brought in to replace striking workers at Le Meridien Delfina. “They never told me that I had a right to ten minute breaks.”

Workers also spoke about being subjected to violence by hotel security guards, as well as alleged retaliation from hotel management for union involvement.“On August 5th, my coworkers and I were attacked by hotel security at the Fairmont Miramar. A guard threw me to the ground,” said German Martinez, a shop steward at the hotel. “I never expected violence from security, much less from the hotel itself. I still suffer from knee pain from falling on the rocks.”

Community leaders who were present as Truth Commissioners expressed their concern and support of workers, urging Santa Monica political leaders to enforce existing laws that protect workers from abuse.

“The hotel industry plays a very important role in this city, and we rely on the work that you do,” CLUE Board Member, Vivian Rothstein, told workers after they shared their testimonies. “Santa Monica prides itself on being progressive, and the city as a whole needs to know about this.”

“These worker stories are a call to action,” said Saba Waheed, Director of the UCLA Labor Center. “The city should investigate the claims we heard today about the violence and retaliation. Over the decades, Santa Monica has led the nation to pass policy to protect workers for exactly moments like this. Let’s amplify the strength of the city and its laws and protect the most vulnerable workers.”

“Because of Santa Monica, there are laws across other parts of Los Angeles county against the mistreatment, violence, and exploitation you have faced,” said former Los Angeles City councilmember, Mike Bonin. “This community and union have fought together to win those laws. But laws don’t change reality, they only change what’s possible. We need to insist on their enforcement. It has to be done insistently and relentlessly.”

Hotel workers across many Santa Monica hotels are in an ongoing labor dispute with hotels as they seek better wages and working conditions in what has become the largest hotel worker strike in modern history. On October 23, the use of migrant labor at struck hotels compelled Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón to launch an investigation into potential violations by hotels and their subcontractors.

Following the Truth Commission, UNITE HERE Local 11 sent Los Angeles City Attorney Sloann a letter urging the city to further investigate possible violations of Santa Monica laws at hotels that brought in replacement migrant workers.

Santa Monica: Hundreds of hotel workers from multiple properties across Santa Monica, including at Le Meridien Delfina, walked out on strike demanding that hotels pay them living wages that allow them to afford housing.  Workers also call upon the hotels to  hire unhoused refugees who were  exploited during prior strikes.

The strike comes as Le Meridien Delfina hosts the American Film Market, which runs from Oct. 31 through Nov. 5. On Saturday morning, workers plan to march across Santa Monica.

The strike and march comes amid a growing scandal involving hotels’ use of unhoused refugees to replace workers during recent strikes.  As the Los Angeles Times reported, subcontracted workers, many of whom are unhoused refugees staying in shelters on Skid Row, were brought in to replace unionized workers during earlier strikes.  Some of the workers were sent to California on buses from Texas as part of Texas Governor Abbot’s publicity stunts.

The subcontracted workers have since alleged that they were exploited while workers in the hotels, with some reporting they were deprived of their legally required meal and rest breaks and were paid in hand-written checks with no explanation of their hourly wage or hours worked.  District Attorney George Gascon announced last week that his office would be conducting an investigation.

While most hotels operated by large chains have remained intransigent in response to workers’ demands for living wages, there have been some breakthroughs.  Most recently, the Loews Hollywood Hotel and the Laguna Cliffs Marriott reached tentative agreements with their respective workers, making them the third and fourth hotels to do so, following the lead of the Biltmore Los Angeles and Westin Bonaventure.