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NEWS

PRESS INQUIRIES

For Press Inquiries:
Maria Hernandez, Communications
(623) 340-8047 (mobile)
mhernandez {at} unitehere11 {dot} org

For Arizona Press Inquiries:
Victoria Stahl, Communications
(623) 329-1662 (mobile)
vstahl {at} unitehere11 {dot} org

LA Times: SoFi Stadium workers to vote on whether to authorize a strike with World Cup looming

“The cooks, dishwashers, concession workers, bartenders and servers represented by Unite Here Local 11 have been working without a contract for a year and the union says negotiations with Legends Global, the stadium’s food-service operator, have stalled. Workers are demanding salary increases, protection against subcontracting and job loss through automation, and are protesting FIFA’s collection of sensitive private information such as nationality and home addresses.”

“If a strike is approved during the two-day vote, Kurt Petersen, co-president of the union, said the 70,000 fans arriving for the June 12 World Cup opener between the U.S. and Paraguay will be greeted by hundreds of picketing workers.”

New York Times: FIFA facing ‘significant’ World Cup problem as SoFi Stadium workers set for strike vote

“We felt the company (Legends) were not taking the concerns and demands seriously enough,” Petersen said. “At midday (Tuesday), the workers told the company that we intend to proceed with a strike vote. The vote is scheduled for next week over two days on Thursday and Friday.”

European Trade Unions Pledge Support for Flying Food Group Workers at LAX and SFO

On May 21, 2026, the European Transport Workers’ Federation’s Civil Aviation Section passed a resolution committing to mobilize in support of over 1,000 Flying Food Group workers at LAX and SFO, who have been struggling to improve their working conditions. The European trade unions involved represent workers at a majority of the airlines that source from FFG in Los Angeles and San Francisco, including Air France, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Polish Airlines, KLM, ITA, Scandinavian SAS, TAP Air Portugal, and Cargolux.

The resolution was strongly backed by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which is coordinating solidarity between UNITE HERE and global aviation unions including those in Europe. European aviation unions affiliated to the ETF and ITF will directly engage with airlines contracting with FFG at LAX and SFO, invoking their obligations under national and EU law.

LA TIMES: In deal with business leaders, $30 minimum wage for L.A. hotel and airport workers will be delayed

In May 2025, the council approved a proposal that would have increased the minimum wage to $30 in July 2028 and also raised an hourly payment for healthcare coverage.

In response, a coalition of airline and hotel businesses gathered enough signatures to place a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot that took aim at the city’s gross receipts tax, which is imposed on a vast array of businesses, including entertainment companies, child-care providers, law firms, accountants, healthcare businesses, nightclubs and many others.

LAIST: Santa Monica will soon transform a huge plot of land. Should it include housing?

TheSanta Monica Airport is set to close at the end of 2028. Residents have supported turning it into a park. Proponents of that approach say all 227 acres should be reserved for green space.

But with rents out of reach for many Westside workers, others are fighting to set aside some land for affordable housing.

“If we don’t do it here, I don’t know where we’ll get it done in such big numbers,” said Ralph Mechur, a member of the pro-housing group Cloverfield Commons and a proponent of a measure now aiming to qualify for the November ballot.

Flying Food Workers go to City Hall

Workers at Flying Food Group went to Los Angeles City Hall to ask that their employer be held accountable.

A report recently found that Flying Food Group, which is licensed with the city of Los Angeles, violated its human rights commitments to workers who feed passengers traveling through LAX.

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UNITE HERE LOCAL 11 2026 ENDORSEMENTS

 

UNITE HERE Local 11 proudly announces its endorsement of Tom Steyer for Governor. Click here to see all our other endorsements for this election cycle.

LA TIMES: SoFi Stadium workers threaten to strike if ICE isn’t banned from World Cup games

  • About 2,000 SoFi Stadium workers are threatening to strike ahead of the World Cup if ICE agents aren’t kept out of the venue.
  • The union Unite Here Local 11 and more than 100 human rights groups are urging FIFA to request a moratorium on ICE raids during the World Cup.
  • Amnesty International issued a travel advisory warning World Cup visitors of aggressive immigration enforcement.

San Francisco Standard: Chained shut: Airline food workers describe being locked in cooler as fire raged outside

The January fire was the latest in a string of alleged safety issues at Flying Food Group. Over the past five years, workers, their union, and state and federal agencies tasked with regulating the company have repeatedly raised concerns about working conditions at the LAX facility and others in San Francisco and Hawaii.