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UNION VICTORIES

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.

WE ARE WINNING!

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.

“This new contract will allow me to spend more time with my kids, and retire with dignity.  I am proud of all my coworkers for sticking together, and we will make sure our sisters and brothers in other Beverly Hills hotels get the same,” said Ana Cortez, housekeeper at the Beverly Hilton.

Once the contract is ratified, the workers at Beverly Hilton will secure:

  • 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
  • Numerous 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.

The Beverly Hilton is the first hotel in Beverly Hills and the 6th overall to reach a tentative agreement.

“Hotel workers at the Beverly Hilton are eager to kick off the awards season now that Hollywood is back in full swing because they have a contract with a living wage,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11. “The Beverly Hilton is a leader in Beverly Hills, and we challenge the Fairmont Century Plaza and Beverly Wilshire to quickly follow suit.”

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.

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.

Workers at JW Marriott Le Merigot in Santa Monica celebrate reaching a tentative contract agreement“I am thrilled about our new contract and what it will mean for me and my family”, said Maria Espinoza, a Laundry Attendant of 19 years at Le Merigot Santa Monica. “ I am pleased that we are the first workers in Santa Monica to reach an agreement, paving the way for our sisters and brothers at the other hotels in our city to do the same. My co-workers and I stuck together, and we won!”

Once the contract is ratified, the workers at Le Merigot Santa Monica will secure::

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

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.”

THE STATE OF THE 2023 CONTRACT FIGHT