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UNITE HERE Local 11

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

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.

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.

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Children of out-of-work former employees at The Original Pantry honor Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday blessing of the workers of The Original Pantry

Members of UNITE HERE Local 11 Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice gathered outside The Original Pantry Café on Ash Wednesday to dispense ashes and offer blessings to the Pantry workers on what would otherwise be a normal work shift at the recently-shuttered LA icon. More images

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Children of out-of-work former employees at The Original Pantry honor Ash Wednesday
Workers at The Original Pantry comfort each other on the last day of restaurant operations after 100 years.

The Original Pantry Cafe Workers Refuse to Be Thrown Out on The Street

Steadfast after closure, workers at The Original Pantry say the fight for the restaurant’s future is not over

Community members protest the closure of LA icon The Original Pantry

The Original Pantry Café closed its doors for the last time at 5 PM yesterday,  according to the entity that controls the restaurant. But long-time workers are seeking further talks with the Richard J. Riordan Trust, the entity that decided to close the restaurant, in an ongoing effort to keep the L.A. icon open under new ownership.

Last night, after workers wiped down the tables and mopped the floors, they gathered in the restaurant’s historic dining room while still in uniform and asked to speak with a representative from the Trust. Trust representatives refused to speak with the workers and instead called the police on The Pantry’s employees.

Under threat of arrest, workers exited the restaurant peacefully at 7 PM to the cheers and applause of supporters rallying outside. The LAPD briefly detained and cited UNITE HERE Local 11 co-president Kurt Petersen.

“Mayor Riordan’s heirs and the trustees of his estate have chosen to discard these workers in a shameless move straight out of Elon Musk’s playbook,” said Petersen. “I think the late mayor would be appalled at the greed on display.”

In negotiations with UNITE HERE Local 11, the union that represents the workers, The Pantry gave its employees an ultimatum: The restaurant will shut down and fire all workers unless workers give up their demand for job security and continued union representation when the restaurant changes hands.

The Original Pantry worker Mary G speaks to the media on the last day of operations at the restaurant

Maricela Granados, a 26-year server known by her long-time customers as Mary G., said as she left the restaurant, “I didn’t believe they would really close and kick us all out. I’m not sure what I’m going to do next, but I won’t stop fighting for the Pantry.”

Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice have launched a GoFundMe for the fired workers.