SANTA MONICA - UNITE HERE Local 11

BREAKING NEWS: Santa Monica Hotel Workers Strike Le Meridien Delfina During American Film Market Amid DA Investigation of Hotels’ Use of Unhoused Refugees

November 1, 2023

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.

District Attorney George Gascon Announces Investigation into Hotels’ Alleged Exploitation of Unhoused Refugees, says UNITE HERE Local 11

October 23, 2023

Santa Monica – Today, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced he will launch an investigation concerning hotels’ alleged exploitation of unhoused refugees during recent hotel strikes.

District Attorney George Gascón emphatically declared, “We take these egregious allegations with the utmost seriousness. The mistreatment of vulnerable workers and their exploitation will not be tolerated. We will conduct an exhaustive investigation, working closely with UNITE HERE Local 11 and other stakeholders to ensure strict compliance with labor laws and protect the rights and dignity of all workers.”

Many of the agency’s workers are refugees, hailing from countries as far away as Venezuela, and some are temporarily staying at the Union Rescue Mission, a shelter on Skid Row.

The refugees include workers who entered the country to seek asylum in Texas and were part of Texas Governor Abbott’s shameful publicity stunt of bussing workers to other states.

The hotel workers’ union UNITE HERE Local 11 asked DA Gascón to launch an investigation regarding potential violations by hotels and their subcontractors of wage and child labor laws. In one instance, a minor is alleged to have missed school in order to work at a hotel. Some of the refugees reported receiving paychecks with little to no documentation regarding hours worked.

The union and immigrant rights groups are calling on the region’s hotels and the government to ensure that the unhoused refugees have jobs where their rights are respected as well as safe and dignified housing.

Refugee worker from Venezuela, Sebastian stated, “I entered a situation where I didn’t even know which agency was hiring me, how much I was going to earn, how many hours I was going to work, much less my rights as a worker.”

UNITE HERE Local 11 Co-President Ada Briceño denounced the hotels’ actions. “The hypocrisy of the employers like Le Meridien Delfina is staggering,” Briceño said, “Thank you to District Attorney Gascón’s leadership on this issue. We will not stand by while that happens, our union is committed to continue fighting for all workers.”

State Senator Maria Elena Durazo also stated, “{California} is better than this, and we will continue to stand with these workers in Santa Monica and anywhere else they may face these awful conditions.”

“I’m outraged that Santa Monica hotels have resorted to exploiting the desperation of recent immigrants while their current employees fight for living wages and safe working conditions. It is indefensible that hotels would resort to employing vulnerable, newly-arrived refugees during an ongoing labor dispute with their employees, the vast majority of whom are immigrants themselves,” said Angelica Salas, Executive Director of CHIRLA.

This as next week thousands of tourists, film lovers, and film industry workers will pour into Santa Monica the American Film Market next week, their stays and visits to AFM events in several Santa Monica hotels may be worked by vulnerable, unhoused, and unprotected immigrants.

LA TIMES: L.A. hotels hire migrants from Skid Row homeless shelter to replace striking workers. Gascón investigates

October 23, 2023

BREAKING NEWS: Strikes Continue Following Hotels’ Failure to Increase Wage Offer; Walkouts Mark 100th Strike in Historic Fight

September 25, 2023

Santa Monica, CA: A new wave of worker strikes began early Monday morning in response to hotel companies’ failure to provide an economic proposal at last Thursday’s negotiations. The wave will start in Santa Monica hotels, including the Fairmont Miramar (101 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401). With these walkouts, hotel workers have struck more than 100 times in the largest hotel strike in U.S. history.

Two issues dominated negotiations on Thursday, September 21st. First, hotel workers demanded an end to violence against striking workers. Strikers at the Fairmont Miramar as well as the Maya Long Beach and Laguna Cliffs Marriott have been the subject of violent assaults by guests and security personnel. More recently, the JW Marriott LA Live summoned the LAPD against picketing workers and their supporters who were detained and cited for using drums during a peaceful demonstration. The employers refused to acknowledge the violence, much less commit to ending it.

Second, dozens of workers spoke about their inability to pay for their housing and their commitment to continue fighting until they win a wage that allows them to live in the city where they work. The Union then made a new economic proposal. After a more than three-hour caucus, the hotel company representatives returned without any counter proposal.

“I still have pain on my arms and knees from when security guards pushed me on the pavement.” said German Martinez, a dishwasher of 34 years at the Fairmont Miramar. “It was disrespectful to see our employer not even address or apologize to us, and instead come back with no offer. We will do what we have to do until we get the fair contract we deserve.”

Hotel workers across the region representing 15,000 workers walked out beginning the Fourth of July weekend. They are demanding wages to help keep up with the rising cost of housing, better pension plans to retire with dignity, humane workloads and affordable family healthcare. Workers have called for a boycott of hotels across Los Angeles until the companies put an end to the violence and agree to a contract with living wages.