The Union Is Urging Hotels to Instantly Increase Hourly Wages
By Zach Armstrong
Santa Monica hotel workers at Fairmont Miramar, Le Méridien Delfina Santa Monica, Viceroy Santa Monica, Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Monica and Courtyard Santa Monica walked out on Monday following a stalemate in pay increase negotiations, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The strike comes amid efforts by Unite Here Local 11 to raise the salaries of hotel workers who are particularly impacted by a looming housing crisis. The union is partly urging hotels to instantly increase workers’ hourly wages by $5 before raising them by $3 annually for two consecutive years.
Last week’s bargaining session between the union and hotel company representatives failed after the ladder provided no counteroffer to the former’s proposal that included lowering the total raise of $11 to $10.50, the Times reported. A lawyer for Southern California hotel managers told the newspaper that the union’s proposal “took the parties further apart.” Another representative for L.A. hotels said the contract’s cost increased by the union’s proposal of also making the start date sooner for hotels to contribute to a health and welfare fund.
UHL 11 represents approximately 32,000 workers across Southern California and Arizona employed in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas, and convention centers.
