Key Highlights of the Agreement Include $5 per Hour Raise in the First Year, and Wage Increases of up to 50% for Non-tipped Workers
All Santa Monica hotels embroiled in labor disputes have now reached agreements, encompassing establishments such as the Santa Monica Proper, Fairmont Miramar, Hampton Inn Santa Monica, Courtyard Santa Monica, Viceroy Santa Monica, and Le Méridien Delfina, among others.
The news comes as per an announcement from UNITE HERE Local 11 on Friday, which stated that a total of 46 agreements had been reached after a surge of signings from the prior week. Other hotels that reached agreements throughout Los Angeles included Four Points LAX, Hotel Maya in Long Beach, Hyatt Place Pasadena, Proper Downtown Los Angeles, Westdrift Manhattan Beach, Hotel June West LA, and Alsace Hotel.
Patricia Ibañez, a leader of UNITE HERE Local 11 and a housekeeper at Le Méridien Delfina for 17 years, expressed pride in her colleagues’ perseverance, stating, “It took grit, blood, sweat and tears, but we did it! This is going to change my life.”
The latest contracts, alongside seven others settled earlier this week, bring the total to 46 resolved agreements. Notably, this new contract boasts the most significant economic increases seen in an industry-wide contract over the past three decades.
Key highlights of the agreement include:
- A $5.00 per hour raise in the first year, providing workers with an additional $10,400 annually.
- Substantial wage increases of 40 to 50% for non-tipped workers over the 4.5-year term.
- Most room attendants expected to earn $35.00 per hour by July 1, 2027.
- Guaranteed pre-pandemic staffing levels and mandatory daily room cleaning.
- One of the nation’s highest paid pension plans for service workers.
- A comprehensive array of improvements, including recognition of Juneteenth as a paid holiday and protections for workers affected by the criminal justice system and immigrant rights.
The contract is slated to expire on January 15, 2028, just ahead of the XXXIV Olympiad in Los Angeles. However, more than 10,000 workers across 52 hotels have already engaged in 170 strikes, marking the largest strike in the history of the nation’s hospitality industry, according to a news release from UNITE HERE.
