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UNION VICTORIES

BREAKING NEWS: Five Hotels – Sofitel, 2 Hyatts in Long Beach, Hyatt Andaz, Hyatt Shay – Sign Tentative Agreements with UNITE HERE Local 11, Raising Total to 34 Hotels

Los Angeles, CA: Hundreds of workers – including those at the Sofitel, Hyatt Shay in Culver City, Hyatt Regency Long Beach, Hyatt Centric The Pike Long Beach, and Hyatt Andaz in West Hollywood – are the latest to win tentative agreements in the largest hotel strike in U.S. history.  Workers have struck more than 130 times since contracts expired last July.

Once the contract is ratified, the workers will enjoy the same extraordinary standard achieved in the previous tentative agreements, including:

  • Unprecedented wage increases that keep pace with the soaring cost of housing
  • Affordable, excellent family healthcare
  • Humane workloads and safe staffing
  • Improved pension increases so that workers can retire with dignity
  • Language improvements, including Equal Justice language that, among other things, will help to provide access to union jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals and unprecedented protections for immigrant workers

Thirty-four hotels have reached tentative agreements with UNITE HERE Local 11. Private-equity owned Aimbridge Hospitality (Hyatt Regency LAX, Holiday Inn LAX,  Doubletree DTLA, Hampton Inn Santa Monica, Courtyard Santa Monica, Sheraton Park Anaheim) continues to resist their workers’ demands. Workers have called a boycott – Shamebridge – which has resulted in Aimbridge losing operating contracts at two LA hotels.

“My coworkers and I stuck together until we won what we deserved. We will keep fighting alongside our sisters and brothers at the Hotel Maya, Hyatt Regency LAX and others until they win too!” said Morena Hernandez, housekeeper at the Hyatt Andaz in West Hollywood.

“We applaud Hyatt and Sofitel for recognizing that their workers are essential to their success,” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11. “Our members have never once faltered in this fight to win a wage that allows them to live near where they work.  They have overcome intimidation, violence, and nothing will stop them until all hotels – including those run by private equity behemoths – sign this agreement.”

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:

  • Unprecedented wage increases that keep pace with the soaring cost of housing
  • Affordable, excellent family healthcare
  • Humane workloads and safe staffing
  • Improved pension increases so that workers can retire with dignity
  • Language improvements, including Equal Justice language that, among other things, will help to provide access to union jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals and unprecedented protections for immigrant workers.

“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

Los Angeles: On the heels of last week’s streak of 9 Marriotts and 1 more Hilton hotel agreeing to a standard setting contract, the InterContinental Downtown Los Angeles, Hotel Indigo DTLA, E-Central DTLA and the Sheraton Gateway LAX are now the latest to sign tentative agreements with UNITE HERE Local 11.

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.”

Once the contract is ratified, the workers at the properties will enjoy the standard achieved in the previous tentative agreements, including:

  • Unprecedented wage increases that keep pace with the soaring cost of housing
  • Affordable, excellent family healthcare
  • Humane workloads and safe staffing
  • Improved pension increases so that workers can retire with dignity
  • Language improvements, including Equal Justice language that, among other things, will help to provide access to union jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals and unprecedented protections for immigrant workers.

“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.”

Other hotels operated by Aimbridge Hospitality like Hilton Pasadena, and Ensemble-operated Hotel Maya and Hyatt Place Pasadena continue to refuse to meet the new hotel contract standard. Pasadena is home to the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade, which take place on January 1, 2024. The escalating labor dispute will impact guests during these events if an agreement is not reached before then.

FOUR MORE VICTORIES

WE ARE WINNING!

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.

Brenda Mendoza, a uniform attendant at the JW Marriott LA Live said, “I am incredibly proud that my coworkers and I fought for this life-changing contract. Our hard work and dedication to each other paid off.”

Once the contract is ratified, the workers at the nine Marriott hotels and the Hilton Irvine will enjoy the same standard achieved in the previous tentative agreements, including:

    • Unprecedented wage increases that keep pace with the soaring cost of housing
    • Affordable, excellent family healthcare
    • Humane workloads and safe staffing

 

  • Improved pension increases so that workers can retire with dignity
  • Language improvements, including historic Equal Justice language that, among other things, will help to provide access to union jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals and unprecedented protections for immigrant workers.

With this latest announcement, a total of twenty Southern California hotels have now signed agreements with UNITE HERE Local 11. While Marriott and some Hilton hotels have led the way, other operators like Aimbridge Hospitality continue to refuse to meet the new hotel contract standard. In response, workers at the Aimbridge-operated Sheraton Park walked out on strike Wednesday, and several others could follow as early as this weekend.

“If the world’s largest hotel companies, Marriott and Hilton, agreed to raise the standard for hotel workers, what makes other hoteliers such as the Maya in Long Beach or Aimbridge Hospitality think their workers will accept anything less? Our members are more determined today to win a living wage than the first day of this historic strike. Nothing will stop them,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11.