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STRONGER WITH LOCAL 11!

Local 11 members win. A lot. We are more than 32,000 workers across Southern California and Arizona, and we campaign constantly to improve our workplaces, organize new workers, and build power for working people in our communities. Check out these highlights from our union’s recent victories and learn about all the different ways we are getting stronger in a union.

 

CHECK OUT OUR RECENT UNION HIGHLIGHTS!

 

 

Posada for Working Families & Community Housing

Santa Monica leaders, workers, and community members gathered for a seasonal posada to advocate for below-market housing on Santa Monica Airport land. The event highlighted how Santa Monica can lead in developing housing as the region gets ready to host the Olympic & Paralympic Games, with the Fair Games coalition having called for the need for 50,000 units of worker housing as the Los Angeles region faces a severe shortage of housing for families with low or moderate incomes, a crisis the recent wildfires only exacerbated.

Aramark at Arizona State: WE WANT A CONTRACT!

Food service workers employed by Aramark at ASU and the Phoenix Convention Center picketed at the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus to demand respect, better staffing, and a fair contract.
ASU workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike on Nov 17.

Disney Workers Win with Local 11!

We Stand with Sen. Mark Kelly!

Arizona Senator, Mark Kelly has always stood up for everyday Arizonans, and now he is standing up against authoritarianism. We are always proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, and our allies a Worker Power!

The Fair Games Coalition Call for Resignation of LA28’s Chairperson Wasserman in Response to Welcoming Trump’s MAGAfication of Board

“LA28 can run the Trump Olympics. But LA28 cannot run the Los Angeles Olympics. If Casey Wasserman cannot see the difference and thinks appointing anti-union, anti-immigrant, pro-Trump billionaires is acceptable, then Casey Wasserman must resign — immediately,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, a member of Fair Games Coalition. (read more)

Large yellow banners lie in the center of the busy intersection at Century Boulevard and Avion Drive near LAX. The banners read, "City of LA: Why is Flying Food Group above the law?"

FOX 11: Airline catering workers stage protest near LAX

Hundreds of airline catering workers shut down a major entrance to LAX on Monday, blocking Century Boulevard and forcing some travelers to abandon vehicles and walk during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

Workers allege unsafe working conditions, broken equipment, locked doors that create fire hazards, and unfair wages. According to union leaders representing the LAX airline catering workers, the demonstration is part of the push to “hold Flying Food Group accountable.”

From Food Bank to Table: Recipes from the HTA Kitchen

Our partners at the Hospitality Training Academy have launched a new video series where HTA chefs demonstrate creative, easy-to-follow recipes using shelf-stable items, canned goods, fresh produce, and other ingredients commonly found at food banks or pantries.

Click here to watch HTA From Food Bank to Table videos below to learn how HTA chefs turn everyday ingredients into delicious, affordable meals for you and your family.

Thanksgiving Food Box Assembly

We volunteered with the LA Federation of Labor to help assemble food boxes that were distributed to hundreds of union families ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

GLYNNDANA AND MARIA LUISA

Two longtime leaders in Orange County — Glynndana Shevlin and Maria Luisa Posadas — have retired and the Local 11 office in OC gave them a fond farewell. We would like to remember them in these two short videos.

 

This video, part of EL SHOW EPISODE 3 is a portrait of Glynndana as she keeps herself busy during the pandemic.

This video is an excerpt from the “Immigrant Worker Freedom Ride” in which Maria Luisa participated when she was a young leader.

Aramark Workers At Arizona State University Vote To Go ON STRIKE!

“They deserve wages they can live on, safe and fair working conditions, and the basic dignity every worker is owed,” Beatriz Topete, Organizing Director for the UNITE HERE Local 11 union, said in a press release.

Remembering Kent Wong

 

Last month we lost a long time leader in the labor movement, Kent Wong. We had the incredible honor to stand alongside other labor leaders to be apart of his remembrance ceremony and the unveiling of ‘Kent Wong Square’

BRING RUSTY’S WORKERS BACK!

Earlier this year, Rusty’s Surf Ranch, a longtime fixture on the Santa Monica Pier, abruptly closed its doors. This closure left devoted workers, some with more than a decade of service, suddenly unemployed. Now, a new bar and restaurant, California Roadhouse, plans to open in Rusty’s former location.

Behind closed doors and without any public notice, the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, a body created by the City Council to manage the Pier on behalf of residents, recommended approval of the new 5 year lease out of public view, with no public agenda, no community input, and no guarantee that longtime workers would have the opportunity to reclaim their jobs.

Add your name to the petition and urge the Santa Monica City Council & City Manager to pass a strong Right to Recall Ordinance and to bring back the Rusty’s Workers!

WITH UNION IN MY BLOOD BY DAYQUAN MOELLER 

In June, I was in the passenger seat of my sister’s car on the way to lunch together. With a little time to spend, I opened a three-ring binder and began highlighting names in a spreadsheet. A confused look came upon her face. 

“What’s that?” she asked. “Work.” I replied. She laughed. At the time, I was less than two months into my first campaign as an organizer with my union, UNITE HERE! Local 11, and until that very moment, I am pretty sure my sister thought being on staff with the union basically meant I was a paid protestor. It never crossed her mind that I would also make spreadsheets, answer emails, and do other “real job” activities.  (MORE)

Stop Firing Vets!

We were proud to join veterans, families, and allies gathered and traveled together to Tucson, Sierra Vista, and Phoenix Arizona to advocate for veterans as cuts are being made to the VA and essential services they rely on. Federal layoffs have hit veterans especially hard, threatening livelihoods, stability, and the dignity of service. We’re calling for policies that protect working people, not punish them.

Workers at Aimbridge-operated hotels in Los Angeles and Philadelphia strike simultaneously

In the shadow of the Hollywood Bowl, hotel workers at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Hollywood , owned by RLJ Lodging Trust and operated by Aimbridge Hospitality, started picketing at 6 AM Saturday November 8, hours before the last concert of the season at the Hollywood Bowl.

In Philadelphia, workers at the Wyndham Historic District hotel—also owned by RLJ Lodging Trust and operated by Aimbridge—walked off the job earlier today, just ahead of the Thanksgiving travel season.

Workers both hotels walked off the job in effort to win wages and benefits that enable them to afford to raise families in the cities where they work

Tucson City Council Victory!

Congratulations to reelected and newly elected Tucson City Council members Kevin Dahl, Selina Barajas, and Miranda Schubert on their victories!

 

Tell Atlantic Street Capital to Bring Back Airport Workers

On November 4th, 2025, GAT/Sky Café, a company owned by Connecticut-based private equity firm Atlantic Street Capital, took over the in-flight catering operations for American Airlines at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. This change has resulted in a mass layoff of nearly 200 workers, many of whom dedicated years of service to the airport and the city with the preceding contractor, LSG Sky Chefs. Sky Café failed to rehire many of these skilled workers and would not prioritize their applications for new positions in the exact same jobs as they had before. Take Action!