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Some of the following press releases have been shortened and edited to avoid redundancy.
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“Shamebridge”: Hotel Workers Launch Boycott of Aimbridge Hospitality
UNITE HERE Local 11 members announced a boycott of Aimbridge Hospitality, the largest third-party hotel operator in the world, until the company agrees to sign a fair contract at all of its union properties. The boycott calls for tourists and visitors to choose alternatives for any travel and events at the following properties:
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles Downtown
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Pedro – Port of Los Angeles
Courtyard by Marriott Santa Monica
Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Monica
Hilton Pasadena
Hyatt Regency LAX
Holiday Inn Los Angeles – LAX Airport
Sheraton Park Hotel Anaheim
Blackstone-owned Aloft El Segundo
Blackstone-owned Fairfield El Segundo
In addition to launching the “Shamebridge” boycott, workers at Aimbridge-operated hotels will also hold actions at the Doubletree DTLA on Monday, plan to strike at the Sheraton Park in Anaheim during the National Association of Music Merchants conference, and do “occupy” actions next week unless agreements are reached.
“Aimbridge Hospitality has not only refused to listen to its workers, but it has met them with contempt and greed,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11. “By boycotting Aimbridge properties, travelers and tourists to Southern California have an opportunity to stand against corporate injustice and support workers who are fighting for a dignified way of life.”
Also, as local hotels prepare to host thousands of guests for the annual NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center, workers at the Aimbridge-operated Sheraton Park Hotel in Anaheim are prepared to strike if the hotel does not sign a tentative agreement by the time the conference begins on January 25.
Aimbridge has been embroiled in controversy since the beginning of the Southern California hotel strike. Among other developments, last October, housekeepers at the San Pedro DoubleTree filed a class-action lawsuit against a subsidiary of the operator, alleging violations of panic buttons and other worker safety provisions of the Los Angeles Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance.
The union has also filed federal unfair labor practice charges against Aimbridge at two hotel properties alleging that managers unlawfully interfered with the rights of employees to engage in union or other protected activity. The charges are pending investigation by the National Labor Relations Board. Meanwhile, the California Labor Commissioner and Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon are investigating allegations of the exploitation of unhoused migrant workers at Aimbridge properties.
Fairmont Miramar Reaches Historic Union Agreement; Strikes Continue at other Santa Monica Hotels
Santa Monica: After six months of strikes and picket lines, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows is the latest hotel to sign a tentative agreement with UNITE HERE Local 11.
With this latest announcement, a total of 25 Southern California hotels have now signed tentative agreements with the union.
“We’re excited and proud to have reached an agreement at our hotel,” says Fairmont Miramar worker Liliana Hernandez, who has been a housekeeper at the hotel for eleven years. “The last six months were challenging for us, but I am so grateful that the whole union stood behind me and my coworkers, and I’m proud of the leadership and solidarity. We hope other Santa Monica hotels follow the example of the Fairmont. Sí se puede.”
Once the contract is ratified, Fairmont Miramar workers will enjoy the standard achieved in the previous tentative agreements, including:
“We applaud the Fairmont Miramar for signing this historic agreement,” said UNITE HERE Local 11 co-president, Kurt Petersen. “This victory once again demonstrates our members’ indomitable spirit and sends an unambiguous message to the remaining hotels that we will not stop fighting until we have won a living wage at all hotels.”
Other hotels operated by Aimbridge Hospitality, such as the Hilton Pasadena, Blackstone-owned Aloft and Fairfield El Segundo, and Ensemble-operated Hotel Maya and Hyatt Place Pasadena, continue to refuse to meet the new hotel contract standard. Dozens of workers at the Hilton Pasadena and Hyatt Place Pasadena walked out on the eve of the Rose Parade.
4 More! InterContinental DTLA, Hotel Indigo DTLA, Sheraton Gateway, E Central Sign Historic Agreements with UNITE HERE Local 11
Next strike wave targets Rose Bowl as pressure builds for Aimbridge Hospitality-operated hotels and Ensemble-operated Hotel Maya
With this latest announcement, a total of 24 Southern California hotels have now signed agreements with UNITE HERE Local 11.
Diana Sanchez, housekeeping supervisor at the InterContinental Downtown Los Angeles, said, “We had a party in the cafeteria this morning. We are stronger today than when we first went out on strike. But we also know that this fight is not over until all hotel workers win this historic agreement.”
“We applaud the 24 hotels that have reached settlements. But we are disgusted with greedy private equity hotel owners like Aimbridge and Blackstone that are focused on profits rather than the welfare of their workers and the reputation of our city,”said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11. “If they want to prolong this dispute, we have no choice but to strike during the Rose Bowl festivities.”
BREAKING NEWS: Major Breakthrough! Nine Marriott Hotels and One More Hilton Sign Agreements, Doubling Total to Twenty in Less than A Week
Los Angeles: More than 1700 housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers, servers, and front desk workers at nine Marriott hotels – Irvine Marriott, W Hotel Westwood, SLS Beverly Hills, Westin LAX, Sheraton Grand DTLA, JW Marriott LA Live, Ritz-Carlton LA Live, Courtyard Marriott DTLA, and Residence Inn DTLA – and Hilton Irvine are the latest to sign tentative agreements. The W Hollywood is the lone Marriott not included because of outstanding contract issues there.
BREAKING NEWS: UNITE HERE Local 11 and the Beverly Hilton Reach Agreement
Beverly Hills: Hundreds of housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers, servers, and front desk workers at the Beverly Hilton have reached a tentative agreement after a months’ long labor dispute. The hotel and union are pleased to announce their deal just before what promises to be an especially celebratory awards season on the heels of the actors’ and writers’ own labor disputes.
Once the contract is ratified, the workers at Beverly Hilton will secure:
The Beverly Hilton is the first hotel in Beverly Hills and the 6th overall to reach a tentative agreement.
Joint Statement from Beverly Hilton and UNITE HERE Local 11
UNITE HERE Local 11 and the Beverly Hilton are pleased to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement. Together, the iconic Beverly Hilton and its employees set the stage for the awards season, and we are delighted to be able to do so once again.
Hotel Workers Stage “Occupy” Action at Sheraton Gateway and Four Points Sheraton LAX
Los Angeles—As the Christmas Holiday approaches, hundreds of room attendants, cooks, dishwashers, and community allies will occupy the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles and Four Points Sheraton by LAX . The action will run day and night, as participants plan to camp on sidewalks overnight in order to demand wage increases that accommodate the skyrocketing cost of living in Los Angeles.
PRESS RELEASE: UNITE HERE Local 11 Files Federal Labor Charge Against Holiday Inn LAX, Alleging that Manager Unlawfully Prohibited Unhoused Refugee From Talking About Their Labor Conditions
Los Angeles, Calif. – After District Attorney George Gascon and the California Labor Commissioner announced a joint investigation into the alleged exploitation of unhoused refugees by hotels across Los Angeles County, UNITE HERE Local 11 has filed a federal unfair labor practice charge alleging that a Holiday Inn LAX manager warned the same unhoused workers not to tell anyone about their pay or other working conditions.
The charge follows the publication of an in-depth article by the Los Angeles Times reporting that several prominent hotels, or agencies acting on their behalf, had brought in unhoused refugees from Venezuela and Colombia to replace their own workers during recent strikes. The article reported that the Los Angeles district attorney was concerned about “potential wage theft and violations of child labor law.” The article also featured interviews and photographs of several of these unhoused workers.
On October 25, 2023, just two days after this article was published, the same agency or agencies brought in workers from the same Skid Row shelter to work at Holiday Inn LAX. As the labor charge alleges, when the agency workers arrived at the hotel, a high-level manager greeted them and immediately warned them not to talk to anyone who was asking about their working conditions. The labor charge, which is pending investigation, alleges that this constituted an implied threat in violation of federal labor law and an unlawful prohibition against workers’ exercise of federally protected rights.
“We know that it is not easy for anyone to speak out about their working conditions–but it is even more difficult for recent migrants fleeing difficult situations who depend on these precarious jobs for their and their families’ survival,” said Ada Briceno, co-president of Local 11. “These workers showed unbelievable bravery when they chose to speak publicly about what they experienced working in hotels. We want all immigrant workers to know that it is their right to be paid and treated fairly, and it is their right to speak out when they are not.”
The Holiday Inn LAX is operated by Aimbridge Hospitality, a subsidiary of Advent International. Workers at a dozen Aimbridge-operated hotels in Southern California have walked out on strike in recent months. The workers are demanding living wages that will allow them to live in the communities where they work. Workers at one of these Aimbridge-operated properties, the San Pedro Doubletree hotel, have also filed a class action lawsuit alleging that their employer failed to provide statutorily required protections against sexual assault.
Le Merigot Santa Monica Announces Settlement with UNITE HERE Local 11
Santa Monica, CA: UNITE HERE Local 11 and Le Merigot Santa Monica reached a tentative agreement after months of negotiations, making it the first hotel in Santa Monica to do so during a citywide hotel sector labor dispute that has been marked by contentious strikes and picket lines. Le Merigot Santa Monica is the fifth hotel in the broader Los Angeles area to sign an agreement in this round of contract negotiations.
Once the contract is ratified, the workers at Le Merigot Santa Monica will secure::
Le Merigot Santa Monica, the Loews Hollywood, Biltmore Los Angeles, and the Westin Bonaventure have emerged as leaders in providing fair wages and benefits for its workers and superior service for guests. At the same time, the Le Meridien Delfina has been caught using unhoused migrants to break the strikes at their hotels.
“We value our staff tremendously, which this agreement reflects,” said Jessica Rincon, General Manager, Le Merigot Santa Monica. “And we are proud that we reached this agreement while maintaining a positive relationship with our employees. We look forward to providing the level of service that our discerning clientele expect.”
“We are pleased to announce our settlement at Le Merigot Marriott Santa Monica,” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11. “We have now won standard-setting contracts in Downtown LA, Hollywood, Orange County, and Santa Monica. There are no excuses for the rest. Workers deserve to share in the prosperity of the tourism industry.”