Thousands Of SoCal Hotel Workers Go On Strike
Thousands of hotel industry workers in Southern California went on strike over the Fourth of July weekend in hopes of gaining a new contract with higher wages and benefits, according to the employees' union.
https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/onstrike1.JPG?itok=6BIUjO5W (https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/onstrike1.JPG?itok=6BIUjO5W)
**Cooks, dishwashers, servers, room attendants, bellmen and other non-managerial hotel staff** from UNITE HIRE Local 11 (https://www.unitehere11.org), which represents over **32,000 hospitality workers** in California and Arizona, were seen picketing outside major hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties the morning of July 1, according to the union's Twitter account.
Last month, **96% of union members voted in favor of authorizing the strike** after negotiations - which began on April 20, stalled out, according to _CNBC_.
> Hotel worker strike: Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott LA Live, Beverly Hilton, Fairmont Miramar, Anaheim Hilton, and Four Seasons Regent Beverly Wilshire, and Sheraton Universal City workers need a $5 increase to afford SoCal cost of living. @UNITEHERE11 (https://twitter.com/UNITEHERE11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)pic.twitter.com/dUqz6P0oLP (https://t.co/dUqz6P0oLP)
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> — Heather Parker Penzkofer (@hparker) July 2, 2023 (https://twitter.com/hparker/status/1675496897660997638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
The union says that around **15,000 workers at 65 hotels** represented by Local 11 in LA and Orange counties saw their current contract expire midnight on June 30.
Affected hotels include Hyatt properties, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International. One day before the strike, the union struck a deal with the Westin Bonaventure (https://www.unitehere11.org/westin-bonaventure-first-to-reach-deal-as-historic-strike-looms-for-dozens-of-socal-hotels/) in Downtown Los Angeles.
\_Employees at the Westin Bonaventure struck a deal one day before the strike_ (
)Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, and luxury hotels like the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown Los Angeles and the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.
**The primary reason for the strike is the cost of living**, as raging inflation means that workers - who often live far from their places of employment - can no longer afford to make ends meet. **They are demanding an immediate $5 per hour boost in wages** and a $3 boost annually for the next three years.
The union points out that while hotels themselves were bailed out during the pandemic, the industry has exceeded pre-pandemic levels of profit, while wages have not kept up with the pace of inflation.
> _The City of Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board said that tourism is back to 91 percent of 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, while visitors spent $21 billion locally in 2022._
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> _Labor representatives said that **housekeepers were making between $20 to $25 an hour, and they estimated that $39.31 an hour was needed to afford rent a two-bedroom apartment in greater Los Angeles.**_
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> _UNITE HERE Local 11 says 53 percent of the workers it is representing have moved or are planning to move outside of Los Angeles. -Epoch Times (https://www.theepochtimes.com/thousands-of-hotel-workers-go-on-strike-in-southern-california-over-rising-living-expenses_5371107.html)_
**"Workers have been pent up and frustrated and angry** about what’s happened during the pandemic combined with the inability to pay their rent and stay in Los Angeles," said Kurt Peterson, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, in a statement.
"So people feel liberated, it’s Fourth of July, freedom is reigning in Los Angeles and hotel workers are leading that fight."
Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Mon, 07/03/2023 - 22:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/thousands-socal-hotel-workers-go-strike