Two years after the killing of Andres Guardado at the hands of Los Angeles Sheriff deputies, UNITE HERE Local 11 and allies continued the call for accountability, justice, and transparency.
Although an independent investigation was launched by the FBI into the killing of Andres in late 2020, allies say more needs to be done within the department to make sure this never happens again. Saying true transparency and accountability could be achieved through a charter amendment.
The union and allies also heard testimony from the Guardado family and other families impacted by violence within the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
“It has nearly been two years but it feels like just yesterday our son was taken from us.” said Cristobal Guardado, father and UNITE HERE Local 11 member. “ It means the world to me knowing that my son and his memory is not being forgotten.”
On June 18, 2020 while working as a security guard in Gardena, LASD deputies shot Guardado five times in the back, as reported by two independent autopsies. The eighteen-year-old had gotten the job to help provide for his family after his father, a hotel worker and UNITE HERE Local 11 member, was laid off due to COVID-19.
Shortly after, UNITE HERE Local 11 and other allies called for Sheriff Alex Villanueva to resign. Thousands of people and groups like CLUE, ACLU SoCal, Check The Sheriff, and Black Lives Matter Los Angeles have joined the call. Most recently, voters across Los Angeles County overwhelmingly voted for new leadership to lead LASD, with Villanueva only receiving 31% of the vote so far, a runoff election is set to happen in November.
“Voters across Los Angeles County spoke up this past primary election. They want change. They want justice, accountability and transparency within the Sheriff’s department. As a union, we will do whatever it takes to make sure justice is served for the Guardado family and all families impacted by the recklessness of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11.
”We are urging the Board of Supervisors to refer to voters a County Charter amendment to finally establish meaningful checks and balances of the sheriff and the department—no matter who the sheriff is,” said Pastor Cue, Clergy for Black Lives and Pastor of The Church Without Walls in Skid Row.
Update on Compass/Levy Labor Dispute at Dodger Stadium
MLBPA Solidarity Pledge with Dodger Stadium Concession Workers
Dodger Stadium concession workers threaten to strike All-Star Game
BREAKING NEWS: 07/11/2022
Dodger Stadium Workers Vote 99% to Authorize Strike Ahead of MLB All-Star Game
Workers employed by concessionaire Compass/Levy seek a fair union contract
Two-Year Anniversary of Andres Guardado’s Death
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAYOR GARCETTI SIGNS HOTEL WORKER PROTECTION ORDINANCE
LOS ANGELES — Mayor Garcetti today was joined by UNITE HERE Local 11 to sign the Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance into law, ensuring hotel workers’ safety, fair compensation, and improvement of the general work environment.
“Hotel workers are on the frontlines of our economic recovery and their work uplifts Los Angeles and is part of what makes this city an amazing place to visit,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “I am proud to sign this ordinance into law — allowing mothers to spend more time with their children and to feel safe when walking into their place of work. Their hard work and perseverance inspires me and they deserve a fair work environment.”
This new law provides for security measures to protect hotel workers from sexual assault and threatening conduct, and fair compensation through a wage premium for heavy workloads in hotels with over 45 guest rooms. These new provisions will give hotel workers an environment in which they are allowed to thrive.
“Our City’s economy is built around the service industry and hotel workers are the City’s backbone,” said Councilmember Kevin De Leon. “Our city council embraced the legislative authority granted to us by the voters of Los Angeles to ensure that they have a safe workplace and the fair compensation that they deserve. I stand with the hard-working immigrant women and men who make up the hospitality industry in our city, and I’m proud that today Mayor Garcetti signed this ordinance into law.”
“The city’s economic recovery is only as good as that of its hospitality workers. This law will make sure that recovery is fair by providing better wages and protections for some of the workers who bore the brunt of the pandemic,” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President, UNITE HERE Local 11. “Thank you to Mayor Garcetti, Los Angeles City Council and workers who shared their stories with thousands of voters to make this possible.”
“As a hotel housekeeper it inspires me to see Mayor Garcetti sign into law the ordinance I, and hundreds of other hospitality workers spent months gathering over 100,000 signatures for,” said Isela Ramos, hotel housekeeper and member of UNITE HERE Local 11. “At a time when our rights as women and workers are under attack, this law is proof of the tangible change working people can achieve when we take action in our democracy.”
BREAKING NEWS: 06/28/2021
Los Angeles City Council Passes UNITE HERE Local 11’s Groundbreaking Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance
Ordinance, Now Headed to Mayor Garcetti’s Desk, Will Make Los Angeles one of the nation’s first to require daily room cleaning, panic buttons, and fair compensation for heavy workloads
Los Angeles: In a 8-2 vote, the Los Angeles City Council passed a life changing law that would provide much needed protections for hotel workers across the city.
The final procedural vote comes after the council voted to adopt the ordinance last week.
The law provides:
Automatic daily room cleaning throughout the industry
Panic buttons and other security measures to protect hotel housekeepers from sexual assault and threatening conduct
Fair compensation for heavy workloads
Expansion of minimum wage law for hotel workers
“We are grateful to the Los Angeles City Council for this historic victory for hospitality workers. During the pandemic hotel housekeepers were lined up at food banks while the hotel industry received billions of dollars of corporate welfare and now are enjoying record breaking profits. This law, we hope, will start to focus the economic recovery from the greed of corporations to the needs of the workers who are the backbone of the tourism industry,” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President, UNITE HERE Local 11.
While much of the law mirrors protections hotel workers have secured in Long Beach, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and Glendale, the Los Angeles law also breaks new ground in the region by requiring automatic daily room cleaning of hotel rooms.
“This Council has consistently recognized that, for the past two and a half years, our hotel workers have provided essential services during unprecedented and uncertain times. Their sacrifices and service saved lives, and now it’s time for us to ensure that they have access to the overtime pay and safe working conditions that they deserve,” said Council President Nury Martínez.
###
UNITE HERE Local 11 is a labor union representing over 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona who work in hotels, restaurants, universities, convention centers, and airports.
L.A. City Council bypasses ballot, approves measure to reduce workload for hotel housekeepers
Los Angeles votes to adopt hotel worker protections
In Honor of 2nd Angelversary of Andres Guardado Allies and Family Rally Outside Hall of Justice Call for Accountability and Charter Amendment
Two years after the killing of Andres Guardado at the hands of Los Angeles Sheriff deputies, UNITE HERE Local 11 and allies continued the call for accountability, justice, and transparency.
Although an independent investigation was launched by the FBI into the killing of Andres in late 2020, allies say more needs to be done within the department to make sure this never happens again. Saying true transparency and accountability could be achieved through a charter amendment.
The union and allies also heard testimony from the Guardado family and other families impacted by violence within the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
“It has nearly been two years but it feels like just yesterday our son was taken from us.” said Cristobal Guardado, father and UNITE HERE Local 11 member. “ It means the world to me knowing that my son and his memory is not being forgotten.”
On June 18, 2020 while working as a security guard in Gardena, LASD deputies shot Guardado five times in the back, as reported by two independent autopsies. The eighteen-year-old had gotten the job to help provide for his family after his father, a hotel worker and UNITE HERE Local 11 member, was laid off due to COVID-19.
Shortly after, UNITE HERE Local 11 and other allies called for Sheriff Alex Villanueva to resign. Thousands of people and groups like CLUE, ACLU SoCal, Check The Sheriff, and Black Lives Matter Los Angeles have joined the call. Most recently, voters across Los Angeles County overwhelmingly voted for new leadership to lead LASD, with Villanueva only receiving 31% of the vote so far, a runoff election is set to happen in November.
“Voters across Los Angeles County spoke up this past primary election. They want change. They want justice, accountability and transparency within the Sheriff’s department. As a union, we will do whatever it takes to make sure justice is served for the Guardado family and all families impacted by the recklessness of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11.
”We are urging the Board of Supervisors to refer to voters a County Charter amendment to finally establish meaningful checks and balances of the sheriff and the department—no matter who the sheriff is,” said Pastor Cue, Clergy for Black Lives and Pastor of The Church Without Walls in Skid Row.