STATEMENT: LA Forward, UNITE HERE Local 11, and Coalition Partners Congratulates Nithya Raman on Her Re-Election
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 14, 2024
LA Forward, UNITE HERE Local 11, and Coalition Partners Congratulates Nithya Raman on Her Re-Election
The “Neighbors Supporting Nithya Raman for City Council” and “Worker Power for Nithya Raman for City Council” Committees played a critical role in delivering victory.
Los Angeles, CA — “Neighbors Supporting Nithya Raman for City Council, sponsored by LA Forward” and “Worker Power for Nithya Raman for City Council, sponsored by UNITE HERE Local 11” congratulate Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman on her outright re-election victory. Earning more than 50% of the votes cast, Councilmember Raman exceeded the threshold needed to secure a second term on the LA City Council.
LA Forward and UNITE HERE Local 11 brought together a coalition of workers and renters advocates to support Councilmember Raman with two Independent Expenditure committees and to fight back against the real estate moguls and corporate landlords, who spent millions trying to defeat her. Coalition partners included UFCW Local 770, Teamsters 396, SEIU USWW, SEIU Local 2015, SEIU Local 721, Engineers & Architects Association, NUHW, California Working Families Party, Smart Justice California, and LA League of Conservation Voters.
“We did what we do best: hit the pavement and got out the vote, knocking on 27,600 doors and talking to over 4,600 voters,” said Maria Teresa Alvarez, member of UNITE HERE Local 11. “Whether risking arrest to support LAX area workers fighting for a living wage, or walking the strike line during the biggest hotel worker strike in modern U.S history, Councilmember Raman has always shown up and delivered for us and all working families.”
“As working families and tenants’ rights advocates, we came together to ensure that the voters knew about Councilmember Raman’s successful track record of delivering real results on homelessness, renters’ rights, climate change, and good government reforms. With the seven mailers we sent out, we are proud to have played a part in ensuring that she will be able to continue her bold leadership for progressive solutions on the City Council,” stated David Levitus, Executive Director of LA Forward.
“Corporate-funded Independent Expenditure committees spent over a million dollars to flood voters with negative ads distorting Raman’s record in an effort to unseat a champion for Los Angeles working families. We were heavily outspent, but our members’ tenacity helped put Nithya on the path to victory,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president UNITE HERE Local 11.
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LA Forward is a community organization fighting for policies that will make Los Angeles County a fair, flourishing place for everyone. LA Forward is member-driven 501(c)(4) nonprofit seeking to fulfill the promise of democracy and ensure Angelenos have the knowledge, skills, and relationships to advance justice across a wide range of issues — affordable housing, climate justice, a fair economy, good government, and more.
UNITE HERE Local 11 is a labor union representing more than 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona that work in hotels, restaurants, universities, convention centers and airports