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Press Release: 05/03/2021

California Democrats Endorse Growing Boycott of Chateau Marmont Hotel

The state party acts following second racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a Black former worker

Los Angeles, CA: The California Democratic Party endorsed the highly publicized boycott of the Chateau Marmont in a resolution passed Sunday at the party’s convention.

“I am so proud of our state’s Democratic leadership,” said Ada Briceño, chair of the Orange County Democratic Party and co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11. “Mistreatment in the workplace directly conflicts with our Party’s values, and we will not stand for it. The California Democratic Party will continue to lead by taking bold stances on issues that directly impact working families.”

Earlier last week, a second former worker filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Chateau Marmont alleging a racially hostile work environment. April Blackwell, a Black woman, alleged she experienced unsafe working conditions while on overnight shifts at the Chateau Marmont. This January, former events server Thomasina Gross filed a lawsuit against the hotel alleging she also experienced race discrimination and sexual harassment while working at the hotel.

The California Democratic Party has a history of supporting workers who drive the state’s massive and lucrative tourism industry. At its 2019 convention, the party endorsed the boycott of the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, which is ongoing. Two weeks ago, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the first statewide law in the nation granting a right to return to work for people laid off from jobs in hospitality, one of the sectors hit hardest by COVID-19 lockdowns.

“Hospitality workers like those fired from Chateau Marmont are the backbone of our state’s economy. Their willingness to come forward and speak out takes real courage and we are proud to stand in solidarity with them,” said Rusty Hicks, Chair of the California Democratic Party.

“For too long, corporations have gotten rich at the expense of Black and Brown workers. Many of them are immigrant women of color like Martha Moran who for 33 years cleaned the rooms of the rich and famous that stayed at LA’s Chateau Marmont. It’s time that we hold greedy employers like Chateau Marmont accountable ” said Betty Yee, Vice-Chair of the California Democratic Party.

“When the Chateau Marmont fired me, I turned around and went to Arizona to knock on doors for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris because I saw how much this country needed a change. Political power can and should build up working people, and the California Democratic Party proved that again today,” said Jordan Mueck, who worked at Chateau Marmont as an events server for over 2 years.

It has been over a year since the Chateau Marmont fired more than 200 of its workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving workers who had dedicated decades of their lives to the hotel without job security or company-provided healthcare. Since then, many of the hotel’s workers have spoken out about their experiences working at the hotel, prompting concern from community leaders and the call for a boycott until the hotel demonstrates a commitment to respecting workers years of service by rehiring them in accordance with their legal rights and ensuring that all workers—regardless of their race, sex, or background—feel treated with dignity and respect.