Thousands of hotel housekeepers, receptionists and cooks in Los Angeles returned to work Wednesday morning after three days on strike over wages and benefits, which coincided with a July Fourth holiday weekend when thousands of visitors descended on the area for festivities and conventions.
The strike is on pause, with workers back on the job, according to Unite Here Local 11, the union representing tens of thousands of hospitality workers in Southern California. However, with no contract deal in place, workers at dozens of major Los Angeles hotels who have already authorized the strikes could walk out again at any moment.
“This walkout was the first of many actions that may come this summer by workers at hotels across Southern California, and it is only one tool in our toolbox,” Kurt Petersen, one of the leaders of Unite Here Local 11, said in a statement. “We have put the industry on notice that the workers have suffered enough.”
Hotel workers voted last month by 96 percent in favor of authorizing a strike, allowing them to walk off the job this past weekend. Petersen said the soaring cost of living in Los Angeles is a top concern for hotel worker union members who commute from hours away because they cannot afford to live near their jobs.
A spokesman for the Hotel Association of Los Angeles said the group was not certain of the status of the strike. “We are hearing it may be ‘paused’ but we don’t know what that means,” spokesman Peter Hillan said, adding that the union has not indicated to the group that the strike has ended. “In short, however, Unite Here should come back to the bargaining table to show that it’s sincere about reaching a fair agreement.”
In addition to the wage increases, the union is bargaining for guaranteed staffing levels, automatic digital tipping, and the continuation of its strong health insurance plan and pension program. Just a day before contracts expired, the largest hotel in Los Angeles, the Westin Bonaventure with a staff of about 600, came to a tentative agreement before the walkout started. Other hotels have been unable to reach a deal.
