PRESS INQUIRIES

For Press Inquiries:
Maria Hernandez, Communications
(623) 340-8047 (mobile)
[email protected]

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Rachele Smith, Communications
(623) 670-9889 (mobile)
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Some of the following press releases have been shortened and edited to avoid redundancy.

High resolution photos are available upon request.

PRESS RELEASE: Tourism Workers Launch “Defend The Wage LA” Campaign for $30 Olympic Wage and Other Protections Against Billionaire Bosses’ Misleading Petition

Los Angeles: Over a hundred room attendants, cooks, dishwashers, airline catering and airport workers, volunteers and allies announced massive field efforts “Defend The Wage LA” to inform the public of the misleading petition led by the tourism industry to overturn the Olympic Wage.

Workers are urging voters not to sign the misleading petition and encouraging the public to report any petition gatherers online or by calling the Defend The Wage hotline at 909-326-0042. 

“I didn’t fight for over two years for this wage because I want to buy another yacht like the CEO’s backing the phony petition. I fought for the Olympic wage so that I could keep a roof over my head and provide for  my family back in Honduras. I am planning to move to Louisiana with my husband because the $20.63 is not enough, living in Los Angeles is becoming more impossible every day.” said Maria Torres, dishwasher at Flying Food Group, an airline catering company that prepares meals for international flights out of LAX and member of UNITE HERE Local 11. “I will be out there every day educating voters about the bosses’ phony petition and urging them to not sign.” 

“We stand at another biblical moment in our historic fight – David versus Goliath. Delta and United Airlines—along with the hotel industry—want to steal wages from workers by erasing this critical law. Let’s call it what it is: grand theft larceny by modern-day robber barons. Workers and volunteers will be at every grocery store, park, farmers market and neighborhood defending the Olympic Wage and asking voters to not sign. If you see the anti-Olympic Wage petition circulators, report them!” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President UNITE HERE Local 11.

Rather than paying workers what they deserve, the industry which has already spent over 1 million dollars to stop their workers from earning a livable wage, is expected to spend millions more on this referendum. The efforts have major funding from Delta Airlines, United Airlines and the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Over the two years since the ordinance was introduced, the combined compensation of Delta, United, Hilton, and Marriott’s CEOs reached over $330 million. In just 2024, each of these CEOs’ raises ranged from 155% to over 602% of what they made in 2022. Meanwhile, over two years the minimum wage of tourism workers rose an average of $1.35 an hour. 

“The airlines and hotels would rather spend millions to overturn the living wage than give workers a dime now,” said David Huerta, President of SEIU United Service Workers West. “These are billion-dollar companies fighting to make sure that working families in L.A. don’t get a raise. Don’t be complicit. Don’t sign the CEO’s petition.”

“My co-workers and I spent two years trying to get this ordinance passed while still working long shifts at LAX. We missed time with our families and loved ones,” said Jovan Houston, a Customer Service Agent at LAX. “It’s heartbreaking to learn that the airlines, which we work so hard to make successful, would spend millions of dollars to make sure we get nothing.”

“We’ve beaten back these dirty tricks before,” said Jessica Durrum, Director of LAANE’s Tourism Workers Rising coalition. “For the past 30 years, we have seen big business and corporate lobbyists try to overturn hard-won living wage protections. And time and again, we’ve shown that when workers and the community stand together, we can and will uphold our living wage laws to ensure workers are healthy and housed.”

Airport and hotel workers fought hard to pass the Olympic Wage of $30 by the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Workers marched, picketed, occupied city hall, and met council members for two years to win this historic wage to lift up hospitality workers across the city. Last December workers fasted for days to pass the Olympic and Paralympic Wage. 

This is not the first time UNITE HERE Local 11 has led the way in passing historically strong living wage  laws for tourism workers. In 2016 they increased wages for hotel workers in Santa Monica, 2021 in West Hollywood, in 2022 in the City of Glendale and in 2024 voters in Long Beach passed a similar wage increase. 

BREAKING NEWS: Politically Powerful UNITE HERE Local 11 Passes Highest Wage in the Nation

Los Angeles: UNITE HERE Local 11 which represents over 32,000 cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, airport workers across Southern California and Arizona led the way for the Los Angeles City Council to raise the wage for tourism workers ahead of the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games.

“This wage increase is going to change the life of my daughter and I. As a single mother, I will no longer be forced to choose between paying the bills or buying her healthy food and saving for college. This Olympic and Paralympic wage will be good for working families like mine, the city and our overall economy,” said Sonia Ceron, dishwasher at Flying Food Group and airline catering company that prepares and packages meals for international flights for airlines like Japan Air, Singapore, Qantas and more.

The new law, dubbed the Olympic and Paralympic Wage, is the highest minimum wage in the United States. It will raise the wage of workers in airports and hotels in the city of Los Angeles to $30 by the 2028 Olympic and Paralympics. Mayor Bass is expected to sign the law in the coming weeks, and go into effect July 1st.

“Tourism workers have once again made history by winning the highest minimum wage in the nation! The Olympic and Paralympic Wage is the first step to ensure these mega events benefit hard working families and not just bosses and billionaires,” said Kurt Petersen co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11.

This is not the first time UNITE HERE Local 11 has led the way in passing historically strong living wage  laws for tourism workers. In 2016 they increased wages for hotel workers in Santa Monica, 2021 in West Hollywood, in 2022 in the City of Glendale and in 2024 voters in Long Beach passed a similar wage increase.

While 10,000 hotel workers won historic wage increases in the largest hotel strike in U.S. history led by UNITE HERE Local 11 in 2023 and 2024, thousands more in airports and hotels will benefit from the City of Los Angeles passing an Olympic Wage by modernizing the Living Wage Ordinance to raise hourly wages to $30/hour by 2028 and improve access to quality healthcare.  UNITE HERE Local 11’s hotel, airport and stadium contracts are set to expire in 2028, months before the Olympics and Paralympics.

Workers were joined throughout their over two year fight by LAANE, CLUE and many other community organizations as they repeatedly made their way to Council to demand a wage that would support working families across the Los Angeles region.

BREAKING NEWS: VICTORY: Workers at Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center Ratify Life-Changing 3-Year Agreement

Contract includes $12 an hour raise and protections on subcontracting

Long Beach, CA:  UNITE HERE Local 11 members at the  city-owned Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center have overwhelmingly ratified a historic agreement with the LBCEC operator, ASM Global.

“The improvements we won in our contract will help me pay my rent and feed my family. I will be able to take my kids out and enjoy time with my family without worrying about money,” said Jeanelle Cooper, concessions worker of 9 years at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.

Included in the new agreement are:

  • Enormous wage increases totaling $12 an hour over the three-year agreement. Some workers will see a 65% raise!
  • Free family health insurance.
  • A 400% increase in pension contributions.
  • Strong protections to prevent the exploitation of subcontracted workers, a key sticking point in the negotiations.
  • Extension of contract to soon to be developed amphitheater, Long Beach Bowl.
  • Olympic Expiration Date:  January 15, 2028.  The workers will join 20,000 members whose contracts expire on the eve of the 2028 Olympics.  The LBCEC is scheduled to host events handball, and swimming.

In addition to the life changing wages and benefits, ASM Global also agreed to offer employment to all workers at the temporary staffing agency, 1Fifty1, which was the subject of allegations of potential wage theft which are being investigated by the California Labor Commissioner. ASM Global canceled its contract with 1Fifty1 temporary agency after workers came forward with these allegations. ASM Global has now offered employment to more than 25 former 1Fifty1 workers.  These workers will see their wages increase by 80% during the term of the contract.

“This wasn’t an easy contract to win,” says Andrea Romero, cook of 12 years at the Long Beach Convention & Event Center. “My coworkers and I didn’t have a choice, though. We won fair pay for the hard work that we do and the way we help the tourism industry prosper in Long Beach.”

“Solidarity was the key to this victory. Our members again showed extraordinary courage and unity—they refused to settle until the workers exploited by the temporary agency 1Fifty1 won justice. Now, those workers have the right to permanent jobs and will be covered by this extraordinary contract,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11.

Workers at The Original Pantry comfort each other on the last day of restaurant operations after 100 years.

The Original Pantry Cafe Workers Refuse to Be Thrown Out on The Street

Steadfast after closure, workers at The Original Pantry say the fight for the restaurant’s future is not over

Community members protest the closure of LA icon The Original Pantry

The Original Pantry Café closed its doors for the last time at 5 PM yesterday,  according to the entity that controls the restaurant. But long-time workers are seeking further talks with the Richard J. Riordan Trust, the entity that decided to close the restaurant, in an ongoing effort to keep the L.A. icon open under new ownership.

Last night, after workers wiped down the tables and mopped the floors, they gathered in the restaurant’s historic dining room while still in uniform and asked to speak with a representative from the Trust. Trust representatives refused to speak with the workers and instead called the police on The Pantry’s employees.

Under threat of arrest, workers exited the restaurant peacefully at 7 PM to the cheers and applause of supporters rallying outside. The LAPD briefly detained and cited UNITE HERE Local 11 co-president Kurt Petersen.

“Mayor Riordan’s heirs and the trustees of his estate have chosen to discard these workers in a shameless move straight out of Elon Musk’s playbook,” said Petersen. “I think the late mayor would be appalled at the greed on display.”

In negotiations with UNITE HERE Local 11, the union that represents the workers, The Pantry gave its employees an ultimatum: The restaurant will shut down and fire all workers unless workers give up their demand for job security and continued union representation when the restaurant changes hands.

The Original Pantry worker Mary G speaks to the media on the last day of operations at the restaurant

Maricela Granados, a 26-year server known by her long-time customers as Mary G., said as she left the restaurant, “I didn’t believe they would really close and kick us all out. I’m not sure what I’m going to do next, but I won’t stop fighting for the Pantry.”

Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice have launched a GoFundMe for the fired workers.

 

PRESS ADVISORY: LA Councilmember Curren Price, State Senators Durazo, Smallwood Cuevas and More Rally to Save Original Pantry Cafe Jobs Ahead of Riordan Trust’s Threat to Close Sunday Inbox

Los Angeles: Political leaders like Los Angeles Councilmember Curren Price, State Senator Lola Smallwood Cuevas, and others plan to rally alongside Pantry workers to urge the Richard J. Riordan Trust to resolve the labor dispute and pull back from its decision to close the Pantry.

Earlier this week, the Original Pantry workers and the union representing them, UNITE HERE Local 11, met with The Richard J. Riordan Trust, who since Mr. Riordan’s passing in 2023, has assumed control of the historic restaurant.

 The Richard J. Riordan Trust continues to be set on its intention to close the restaurant on Sunday, March 2nd at 5pm. In negotiations, The Pantry reasserted its ultimatum to employees: The restaurant will shut down and fire all workers unless workers give up their demand for job security and continued union representation when the restaurant changes hands.

The Pantry threatened to close the restaurant despite the over one hundred letters from customers urging the Trust to keep the restaurant open.

In spite of The Pantry’s threat, workers remain committed to saving their jobs, keeping their union, and maintaining the 100-year old institution open.

Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice and the community plans to have an Ash Wednesday action on March 5th between 7am-8am to gather and pray outside the Pantry, workers encourage the community to attend.

BREAKING: Outraged Without A Deal To Protect Union Jobs, Original Pantry Cafe Workers Vow to Keep Fighting Ahead of Sunday Closure Threat by Riordan Trust

Trust’s Decision to Close Undermines Democratic Process to Negotiate a Fair Deal, say Workers

Los Angeles: Last night, the Original Pantry workers and union representing them, UNITE HERE Local 11, met with The Richard J. Riordan Trust, who since Mr. Riordan’s passing in 2023, has assumed control of the historic restaurant.

The Richard J. Riordan Trust remains set on its intention that the restaurant be closed on Sunday March 2nd at 5pm. The Pantry is demanding that, in order to avoid the closure and loss of workers’ jobs, workers must give up their demand for job security and continued union representation if the restaurant changes hands.

It is a shame not only to Los Angeles and the millions of customers and families this restaurant has served that the Trust refuses to save this place and protect the jobs of the workers who have given their lives.

Before negotiations hundreds of community members, neighbors and organizations like UTLA, ACCE, CLUE, California Poor Peoples Campaign, Catholic Worker Center, DSA Los Angeles, LAANE, SEIU, and Councilmember Curren Price showed up to show support for the workers and let the Trust know they back the workers and their calls for justice. Over a hundred letters of support by customers were delivered to the representatives of the Trust during negotiations. Workers are committed to saving their jobs, keeping their union and the 100-year old institution open. Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice and the community plans to have an Ash Wednesday action on March 5th between 7am-8am to gather and pray outside the Pantry, workers encourage the community to attend.

Community Rallies Around The Original Pantry Cafe, Host Dine-In to Save Worker Jobs!

Beloved institution formerly owned by Richard Riordan under closure threat by trust that controls the late mayor’s estate

Los Angeles: Dozens of community leaders and neighbors plan to hold a Dine-In at the Original Pantry Cafe. The upsurge in community support to save the Pantry and good union jobs comes after last week dozens of workers of the historic landmark picketed the iconic institution formerly owned by Mayor Richard Riordan. Since his passing in 2023, The Richard J. Riordan Trust has exercised control over the restaurant, which has been designated an LA Historic-Cultural Monument.  The Trust has announced its intention that the restaurant be closed.  The Pantry is demanding that, in order to avoid the closure and loss of workers’ jobs, workers must give up their demand for job security and continued union representation if the restaurant changes hands.

Community leaders plan to come together on the same day the Trust is set to resume negotiations with the union and workers. Their hope is to send a strong message to the owners in hope that they will agree to a fair contract and job protections.

The union representing the workers, UNITE HERE Local 11, has filed a pending unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that the threatened closure violates federal labor law. Workers at this historic restaurant are fighting for a fair and dignified contract and to guarantee they are able to keep their jobs and the rights that come with union representation.

BOYCOTT: Workers at Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center Call for Boycott Amid Growing Labor Issues with ASM and Joint Employer, City of Long Beach

Long Beach: UNITE HERE Local 11 members plan to launch a boycott of the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, owned by the City of Long Beach, until its operator ASM Global and the city agrees to sign a fair contract that ensures that all workers including subcontracted workers earn a living wage and are treated fairly. The boycott calls for tourists and visitors to choose alternatives for events.

The call for a boycott comes after the union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board last week alleging that ASM Global, the primary company that manages and operates the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, unlawfully called the police on picketing workers in retaliation for their protected activity and surveilled workers who were peacefully exercising their legal rights. The complaint names city manager Tom Modica as a representative of the City of Long Beach, which the complaint alleges is a joint employer of the striking Convention Center employees. ASM was recently purchased by Legends which also manages food and beverage operations at Sofi Stadium and the Los Angeles Coliseum.

For months, workers have been seeking to bargain a successor union contract with fair working conditions, voted to authorize a strike and then picketed the Convention Center during Mayor Rex Richardson’s State of the City & the Long Beach State of the Port last week.

The union also filed a public records request requesting all communications between ASM and City departments, including the Office of City Manager Tom Modica, and documents associated with the Request for Proposals for operation of a temporary amphitheater located adjacent to the Queen Mary. Mayor Rex Richardson announced at the State of the City that Legends & ASM had been “identified as the official operator” for that venue. Long Beach city leaders voted in early January to draft an ordinance to revise the minimum wage in a manner that would strip away the rights of subcontracted workers to be covered by the city’s wage law. Workers and community members are calling on the city to reverse this decision.