Contract includes $12 an hour raise and protections on subcontracting
Long Beach, CA: UNITE HERE Local 11 members at the city-owned Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center have overwhelmingly ratified a historic agreement with the LBCEC operator, ASM Global.
“The improvements we won in our contract will help me pay my rent and feed my family. I will be able to take my kids out and enjoy time with my family without worrying about money,” said Jeanelle Cooper, concessions worker of 9 years at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.
Included in the new agreement are:
- Enormous wage increases totaling $12 an hour over the three-year agreement. Some workers will see a 65% raise!
- Free family health insurance.
- A 400% increase in pension contributions.
- Strong protections to prevent the exploitation of subcontracted workers, a key sticking point in the negotiations.
- Extension of contract to soon to be developed amphitheater, Long Beach Bowl.
- Olympic Expiration Date: January 15, 2028. The workers will join 20,000 members whose contracts expire on the eve of the 2028 Olympics. The LBCEC is scheduled to host events handball, and swimming.
In addition to the life changing wages and benefits, ASM Global also agreed to offer employment to all workers at the temporary staffing agency, 1Fifty1, which was the subject of allegations of potential wage theft which are being investigated by the California Labor Commissioner. ASM Global canceled its contract with 1Fifty1 temporary agency after workers came forward with these allegations. ASM Global has now offered employment to more than 25 former 1Fifty1 workers. These workers will see their wages increase by 80% during the term of the contract.
“This wasn’t an easy contract to win,” says Andrea Romero, cook of 12 years at the Long Beach Convention & Event Center. “My coworkers and I didn’t have a choice, though. We won fair pay for the hard work that we do and the way we help the tourism industry prosper in Long Beach.”
“Solidarity was the key to this victory. Our members again showed extraordinary courage and unity—they refused to settle until the workers exploited by the temporary agency 1Fifty1 won justice. Now, those workers have the right to permanent jobs and will be covered by this extraordinary contract,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11.
DAVID BORG FROM THE TEMPE MISSION PALMS
“Because thats what we have to do, that’s at the heart of this movement, fighting for our community.” David Borg is a Shop Steward at the Tempe Mission palms in Tempe, AZ.
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Fair Games: a New Deal for Our Future
We demand from LA28 and the billionaire companies that will profit off the games:
If the IOC, LA28, city leaders, and corporate CEOs fail to meet workers’ needs, workers will be prepared to strike!
LUIS DOMINGUEZ
Meet Luis Dominguez, housekeeper at the Doubletree DTLA and proud UNITHERE Local 11 member. In 2023, he and his coworkers went on strike and won a historic new contract, and he’s ready to do it again in 2028 if that’s what it takes!
ALAINK KEMPLE
Alaink works at the Waldorf Astoria. Going on strike for the first time was scary—but absolutely worth it. The raises, protections, and life-changing benefits he and his coworkers won? Unforgettable.
BREAKING NEWS: VICTORY: Workers at Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center Ratify Life-Changing 3-Year Agreement
Long Beach, CA: UNITE HERE Local 11 members at the city-owned Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center have overwhelmingly ratified a historic agreement with the LBCEC operator, ASM Global.
“The improvements we won in our contract will help me pay my rent and feed my family. I will be able to take my kids out and enjoy time with my family without worrying about money,” said Jeanelle Cooper, concessions worker of 9 years at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.
Included in the new agreement are:
In addition to the life changing wages and benefits, ASM Global also agreed to offer employment to all workers at the temporary staffing agency, 1Fifty1, which was the subject of allegations of potential wage theft which are being investigated by the California Labor Commissioner. ASM Global canceled its contract with 1Fifty1 temporary agency after workers came forward with these allegations. ASM Global has now offered employment to more than 25 former 1Fifty1 workers. These workers will see their wages increase by 80% during the term of the contract.
“This wasn’t an easy contract to win,” says Andrea Romero, cook of 12 years at the Long Beach Convention & Event Center. “My coworkers and I didn’t have a choice, though. We won fair pay for the hard work that we do and the way we help the tourism industry prosper in Long Beach.”
“Solidarity was the key to this victory. Our members again showed extraordinary courage and unity—they refused to settle until the workers exploited by the temporary agency 1Fifty1 won justice. Now, those workers have the right to permanent jobs and will be covered by this extraordinary contract,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11.
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MERCEDES FLORES
For 16 years, Mercedes has worked as a housekeeper at the Sheraton Grand LA. in 2020, she lost her home in a fire, then when the pandemic shut everything down-she lost her job. Thats why she went on strike with her coworkers, fighting for a better contract. Thanks to the salary increases they secured, Mercedes can now provide more for her daughters and continue rebuilding.
ALICE STANFORD
Meet Alice Stanford, a banquet server at the JW Marriott. Alice moved to LA after high school, but the high cost of living left her sleeping in her car. After securing a union job, she was able to afford a two-bedroom apartment and felt a sense of stability—until the LA fires forced her to evacuate in the middle of the night. Although her building stood, smoke damage left her home uninhabitable, and her landlord refused to fix it. Thanks to her union’s hardship fund, Alice found temporary housing and the union’s legal fund is now fighting to hold her landlord accountable. This is the power of standing together
ARTURO HUESO
Meet Arturo, a worker at the Fairmont Miramar for 31 years. Thanks to his union health insurance, Arturo didn’t have to worry about the cost of cancer treatment after his 2020 diagnosis. So, when his contract expired in 2023, he joined his coworkers on the picket line to fight for that same security and protection. Today, he’s proud of the victories they won—showing why it’s always better in a union.