California hotel workers on strike, representative responds
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Thousands of workers at hotels across Los Angeles have gone on strike demanding pay raises and better health insurance.
The first day of the strike comes during the busy summer travel season. Southern California's largest hospitality union is demanding better compensation for their more than 14,000 workers.
Members with Unite Here Local 11 striked at hotels across the region including Downtown LA, where they marched in front of the J.W. Marriot and Biltmore Hotel.
Strikes also occurred outside the Sheraton in Universal City as well as the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica.
"We live paycheck to paycheck, that's why we are fighting, even though we are losing right now our wages, we have to sacrifice for getting what we deserve," said Liliana Hernandez, housekeeper of Fairmont Miramar.
"Raking in the money"
Unite Here Local 11 represents room attendants, cooks, dishwashers, front desk agents and servers at 62 hotels across Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
"The hotel executives have been raking in money since the [beginning and middle] of the pandemic, they've gotten 15 million in bailouts from the government, while the workers, the dishwashers, the servers, the housekeepers are barely scraping by," said Danielle Wilson, spokesperson for Unite Here Local 11.
The Westin Bonaventure in LA is the only hotel that reached an agreement with the union before the contract expired June 30.
According to the union, hotel workers make about $26 an hour. They're demanding an immediate $5 wage increase as well as better healthcare benefits, pension, and safer workloads.
Union allies also joined the hotel picket lines: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) members who have been on strike for 10 weeks showing solidarity to let workers know they're not alone.
"Unfortunately, we're all under the heel of corporate greed and our only way to protect our standard of living and working conditions is by joining unions and their fights," said David Goodman, WGA member.
Response
The Coordinated Bargaining Group, which represents 44 of the hotels in negotiations with Unite Here Local 11 released a statement saying:
"They've offered wage increases of $2.50 per hour in the first 12 months and $6.25 over four years. The hotels' offer also guarantees continuing employees' current quality affordable health care for them and their families and continuing to contribute to a guaranteed pension. Based on the union's actions, it's clear the union is not focused on the interests of our employees and its members and is instead focused on its political agenda."
