Los Angeles: Today, dozens of hospitality and service workers from UNITE HERE Local 11 and SEIU-USWW, two of Los Angeles’s largest private sector unions representing tens of thousands of latino workers, announced they are endorsing Karen Bass for Mayor of Los Angeles.
Holding the tools of the jobs they do every day to keep Los Angeles running, hotel housekeepers, airport food service workers, cooks, dishwashers and janitorial staff came together at Placita Olvera, a historic gathering place for working class latinos proudly dawning their union colors and chanting “Si se puede!” as they announced their endorsement.
Housekeepers and Janitors have been a political force for decades in California promising hundreds of volunteers to contact voters and “Get out the Vote.” In 2020, Unite Here Local 11 and SEIU- USWW led the effort to turn out the Latino vote in Arizona which was critical in flipping the state for Biden. They then went on to Georgia to play a key role in the runoff election that put Senator Warnock in office and won the Democrats a majority in the Senate.
“As a leader in my union, I have talked to hundreds of latino voters across Los Angeles and learned they care about the same issues I do. We are worried about things like housing, having to deal with rising rents, and homes being converted to short term rentals.” said Liliana Hernandez, member of UNITE HERE Local 11 and housekeeper of 16 years in Los Angeles. “ I know that Karen Bass is the kind of leader latino working people like me need at City Hall.”
“For decades, I have worked as a server at LAX, serving the millions of travelers that come to our wonderful city every year. I know how big of a role the city and the Mayor can play in making sure that LAX is a thriving place for thousands of latino workers and their families.” said Marlene Mendoza, Vice President of UNITE HERE Local 11. “I was a part of a meeting with Karen Bass, and in talking to her I believe she will support working people from LAX and ensure we take part in our city’s economic recovery from the pandemic.”
“From LAX, to Sofi Stadium, Beverly Hills to Downtown Los Angeles, our members make the beds, serve the food, pour the drinks, and wash the dishes for the millions of tourists that visit Los Angeles every year.” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President UNITE HERE Local 11. “When it comes to elections our members are proud to be the leading boots on the ground in ensuring our democracy works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”
Alejandra Valles Treasurer of SEIU-USWW mentioned “SEIU USWW was founded in the streets of Los Angeles, when striking janitors demanded justice. We have lead the charge to end the heinous practice of wage theft and the corrosive nature of sexual assault and harrasment in the workplace. We have led the way to improve conditions for Black workers in the security industry, and demanded an end to environmental racism at LAX. The next mayor of Los Angeles must represent the diversity that makes our city so special.
Thepower of our members and our ability to mobilize Black and Brown workers has demonstrated, time and time again, that we can get the right candidates elected into office.
“Participating as a political volunteer for 10 years gave me the opportunity to find my own voice and feel the collective power of Latino voters standing up on critical issues like healthcare, wages, sexual violence in the work place, immigration and housing,,” said Martha Mejia USWW Janitor.
“We fought for months to ensure community and worker voices were heard when it came to the expansion of LAX and we won, but more needs to be done, commented Jovan Houston Airport service worker , “I know Karen Bass will ensure the airport holds to their promises so that our communities can thrive and be healthy.”
Both unions are representative of the growing voting strength of immigrant Angelinos who are building power at the ballot box to fight for issues like affordable housing, better jobs, healthcare, education and the environment. These proud union members have collectively mobilized hundreds of thousands of voters to go out and vote and elect leaders that will fight alongside them.
Karen Bass is the only candidate who will put the needs and interests of working families ahead of wealthy corporations and LA’s elite. She has the experience and track record to advocate for Los Angeles essential workers, a majority of whom are latino and people of color, at City Hall.
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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.
SEIU United Service Workers West represents more than 45,000 janitors, security officers, airport service workers, and other property service workers across California.
UNITE HERE Local 11 Endorses Christy Smith for Congress
Smith pledges to fight for hospitality workers and to hold large corporations accountable for abuse of the Paycheck Protection Program
Panorama City, Calif.—UNITE HERE Local 11 is proud to endorse Christy Smith for California’s 27th Congressional District in a competitive, must-win race for Democrats. In the California State Assembly, Smith has authored bills focusing on education reform, homeowner protections and college affordability.
Smith is a pro-choice champion that will focus on protecting reproductive rights, tackling climate change and creating an equitable economy that works for everyone. Her opponent, Trump Republican Mike Garcia, voted against the certification of electoral votes in Pennsylvania and Arizona that helped cement Joe Biden’s presidential victory, opposed the impeachment of President Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, stood against legalizing Dreamers and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act and cosponsored legislation that would effectively ban all abortion and some forms of birth control.
Garcia is the wrong candidate for hospitality workers and the wrong candidate for Northern Los Angeles County. In May 2020, Garcia helped block the bipartisan TRUTH Act, which would have ensured greater transparency regarding how Paycheck Protection Program funds are allocated and made sure funds get to the small businesses for which they are intended. Over two years later, although National Bureau of Economic Research analysis found that only 23% to 34% of the $800 billion in PPP funds went to workers who would have otherwise lost their jobs, taxpayers are still waiting for the Small Business Administration to disclose how borrowers claim to have spent their loans in loan forgiveness applications.
The Chair of the Biden Administration’s Pandemic Response Accountability Committee said it wouldn’t surprise him if there was over $100 billion in fraudulent pandemic aid and the head of the SBA’s Office of Inspector General said billions in pandemic fraud will take 100 years of work to investigate.
Garcia campaign donor and fellow Trump supporter Paul Reed is Chairman of hotel and golf course firm JC Resorts, a company that should be a high priority for investigation. The Los Serranos Golf Club operated by JC Resorts received $1.5 million in PPP loans, but JC Resorts appears to be over the threshold for PPP eligibility; one business analytics company estimates JC Resorts’ total number of employees to be 1200 and its annual sales to be $70.5 million.
We can’t count on Mike Garcia to investigate whether wealthy hospitality firms like JC Resorts improperly took PPP loans meant for real small businesses or to push for greater transparency and oversight of trillions in Covid relief.
Christy Smith will help taxpayers and workers get to the bottom of PPP fraud, and has what it takes to beat Mike Garcia.
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Open Letter to American Airlines & Sky Chefs
Open Letter to American Airlines & Sky Chefs 20220928
The Woman Who Turned Orange County Blue
Attention Roll Call Members! // ¡Atención Miembros de Roll Call!
Español abajo – haga clíc aquí
HTA is partnering with UNITE HERE Local 11 to offer support with the new, required State Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Training and Certification for safe alcohol services.
Any incumbent alcohol server who does not take the online course and pass the RBS exam will be prohibited by the State from serving alcohol.
NOTE: Any previous certifications that are not through RBS will be void after August 31st. If you have a current TiPS or ServSafe Alcohol or other Certification, none of these will be valid after August 31st.
HTA staff will be available to assist Roll Call members with access to computers, troubleshooting any computer issues, and registering on the RBS/ABC website. HTA staff will not be offering assistance with passing the test or taking it for anyone.
If you need assistance, you can make an appointment to receive help at one of the trainings below.
El HTA está colaborando con el Local 11 de UNITE HERE para ofrecer apoyo a los miembros de Roll Call con la nueva Capacitación y Certificación del Servicio de Bebidas Responsables (RBS, por sus siglas en inglés) requerida por el Estado para servicios seguros de alcohol.
El Estado de CA prohibirá que cualquier persona que trabaja sirviendo alcohol que no tome el curso en línea y apruebe el examen RBS sirva alcohol.
NOTA: Cualquier certificación anterior que no haya sido a través de RBS quedará anulada después del 31 de agosto. Si usted tiene la certificación actual de servicio de alcohol TiPS o ServSafe u otra Certificación, ninguna de estas será válida después del 31 de agosto del 2022.
El personal de la HTA estará disponible para ayudar a los miembros de Roll Call con el acceso a las computadoras, la resolución de problemas informáticos y el registro en el sitio web de RBS/ABC. El personal de la HTA no ofrecerá asistencia para aprobar o tomar el examen en nombre de nadie.
Si necesita ayuda, debe programar una cita para recibir ayuda en uno de los siguientes horarios.
Chateau Marmont and UNITE HERE Local 11
Labor for Bass: LA’s Largest Latino Labor Unions UNITE HERE Local 11 and SEIU-USWW Announce Endorsement of Karen Bass for Mayor
Holding the tools of the jobs they do every day to keep Los Angeles running, hotel housekeepers, airport food service workers, cooks, dishwashers and janitorial staff came together at Placita Olvera, a historic gathering place for working class latinos proudly dawning their union colors and chanting “Si se puede!” as they announced their endorsement.
“As a leader in my union, I have talked to hundreds of latino voters across Los Angeles and learned they care about the same issues I do. We are worried about things like housing, having to deal with rising rents, and homes being converted to short term rentals.” said Liliana Hernandez, member of UNITE HERE Local 11 and housekeeper of 16 years in Los Angeles. “ I know that Karen Bass is the kind of leader latino working people like me need at City Hall.”
“For decades, I have worked as a server at LAX, serving the millions of travelers that come to our wonderful city every year. I know how big of a role the city and the Mayor can play in making sure that LAX is a thriving place for thousands of latino workers and their families.” said Marlene Mendoza, Vice President of UNITE HERE Local 11. “I was a part of a meeting with Karen Bass, and in talking to her I believe she will support working people from LAX and ensure we take part in our city’s economic recovery from the pandemic.”
“From LAX, to Sofi Stadium, Beverly Hills to Downtown Los Angeles, our members make the beds, serve the food, pour the drinks, and wash the dishes for the millions of tourists that visit Los Angeles every year.” said Kurt Petersen, Co-President UNITE HERE Local 11. “When it comes to elections our members are proud to be the leading boots on the ground in ensuring our democracy works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”
Alejandra Valles Treasurer of SEIU-USWW mentioned “SEIU USWW was founded in the streets of Los Angeles, when striking janitors demanded justice. We have lead the charge to end the heinous practice of wage theft and the corrosive nature of sexual assault and harrasment in the workplace. We have led the way to improve conditions for Black workers in the security industry, and demanded an end to environmental racism at LAX. The next mayor of Los Angeles must represent the diversity that makes our city so special.
Thepower of our members and our ability to mobilize Black and Brown workers has demonstrated, time and time again, that we can get the right candidates elected into office.
“Participating as a political volunteer for 10 years gave me the opportunity to find my own voice and feel the collective power of Latino voters standing up on critical issues like healthcare, wages, sexual violence in the work place, immigration and housing,,” said Martha Mejia USWW Janitor.
“We fought for months to ensure community and worker voices were heard when it came to the expansion of LAX and we won, but more needs to be done, commented Jovan Houston Airport service worker , “I know Karen Bass will ensure the airport holds to their promises so that our communities can thrive and be healthy.”
Both unions are representative of the growing voting strength of immigrant Angelinos who are building power at the ballot box to fight for issues like affordable housing, better jobs, healthcare, education and the environment. These proud union members have collectively mobilized hundreds of thousands of voters to go out and vote and elect leaders that will fight alongside them.
Karen Bass is the only candidate who will put the needs and interests of working families ahead of wealthy corporations and LA’s elite. She has the experience and track record to advocate for Los Angeles essential workers, a majority of whom are latino and people of color, at City Hall.
###
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.
SEIU United Service Workers West represents more than 45,000 janitors, security officers, airport service workers, and other property service workers across California.
Pitzer College Has Agreed to Stay Neutral While Dining and Facility Staff Unionize With UNITE HERE Local 11
Terranea Resort workers get $1.5 million payout from state regulators
VIRGINIA EREDIA
Virginia Eredia, who was laid off by the Terranea after working nearly six years as a turndown attendant. Eredia said: “After losing my job, I lost my house, my car, and had to go into a lot of debt. This money will help ease some of that and will help me buy a car to get to work. I would have never received this had I not chosen to stand up for my rights. I hope other hotel workers see this and know what is possible.”
CA State Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower
Today CA Labor CommissionerLilia Garcia-Brower began distributing more than $1.5 million to 57 workers laid off at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes during the COVID-19 pandemic who were not offered job positions promptly as required by the Right to Recall Law.