Thousands of hotel workers strike in southern California

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Jul 2023 00:17

Due to the rising cost of living crisis, unionized hotel workers strike demanding better pay and benefits in southern California as summer ramps up.

Striking hotel workers rally outside the Intercontinental Hotel after walking off their job early Sunday, July 2, 2023, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP)

Demanding better pay and benefits, hotel employees and restaurant employees staged a walkout, in the thousands, in southern California as their union dubs the latest move the largest strike in its history.

The union strike included cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, servers, bellmen, and front desk agents at hotels. The picketing took place in front of major hotels across Los Angeles and Orange counties as summer season ramps up and tourists begin flooding the State.

Kurt Petersen, the union co-president, said, "Our members were devastated first by the pandemic, and now by the greed of their bosses," adding, "The industry got bailouts while we got cuts."

Contracts expired at midnight on Friday at more than 60 hotels, including properties owned by major chains such as Marriott and Hilton. The strike affects about half of the 32,000 hospitality workers the union represents across southern California and Arizona.

With its largest employer, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles, which employs more than 600 unionized personnel, the union reached an agreement. The draft agreement, which offers greater pay and expanded staffing levels, was regarded by union officials as a huge success for employees.

However, talks with other hotels, around 40 of them, have reached a stalemate as the union has been accused of refusing to come to the table.