Friday, November 15

Workers at 10 Southern California hotels finalize new contractual agreement

Workers at 10 hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties signed new tentative agreements to put an end to a long contractual dispute which led to rotating work stoppages during this year, union representatives reported this Saturday.

With the new agreement, more than 1,700 hotel employeesbetween cooks, dishwashers, housekeepers and reception workers signed the new tentative labor agreement, according to the union Unite Here Local 11.

NEW: Local 11 members have won tentative contract agreements at 10 more hotels, from Irvine to the LAX corridor, and Downtown LA to Beverly Hills. This DOUBLES the total number of hotels where workers have won—and there’s more to come!#SoCalHotelStrike #1u pic.twitter.com/Nz0V3AjCkl

— UNITE HERE Local 11 (@UNITEHERE11) December 17, 2023

The union added that 20 luxury hotels located in Southern California have already signed new contractual agreements.

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It was reported that the employees who reached the tentative agreements work in the hotels Irvine Marriott, W Hotel Westwood, SLS Beverly HillsWestin LAX, Sheraton Grand DTLA, JW Marriott LA Live, Ritz-Carlton LA Live, Courtyard Marriott DTLA, Residence Inn DTLA and at the Hilton Irvine.

The representatives of the union Unite Here Local 11 They mentioned that the W Hollywood is the only one in the Marriott chain that is not included in the list due to contractual problems that are pending to be resolved.

According to the union, the new tentative labor contracts that were signed by the workers include provisions such as Unprecedented wage increases keep pace with rising housing costs and excellent, affordable family healthcare.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Hotel workers with Unite Here Local 11 march, as one person holds a 'Workers Need A Raise' sign, through downtown LA calling for a `fair contract' from numerous major hotels in the region on October 25 , 2023 in Los Angeles, California.  Thousands marched in the demonstration as striking workers from five hotels were joined by workers from 'dozens more' hotels as contract talks continued.  (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
One of the union’s demands was to obtain salary increases.
Credit: Mario Tama | Getty Images

They were also considered less strenuous workloads and secure staffing, improved pension increases.

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The agreements include language improvements, including historic Equal Justice language that will help provide access to union jobs to formerly incarcerated people and unprecedented protections for immigrant workers.

Unite Here Local 11 noted Aimbridge Hospitality for allegedly “refusing to comply with the new hotel contract standard.

The union added that employees of the Sheraton Park Anaheim, operated by Aimbridgeleft their jobs on Wednesday, December 13, and it was not ruled out that other workers would also suspend their jobs during the following days.

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“If the largest hotel companies in the world, Marriott and Hilton, agreed to raise standards for hotel workers, what makes other hoteliers like… Aimbridge Hospitality think their workers will accept anything less?”, considered the co-president of Unite Here Local 11, Kurt Petersen.

“Our members are today more determined to earn a living wage than on the first day of this historic strike. Nothing will stop them,” added the union official.

Some reports say that Aimbridge Hospitality is focused on reach an agreement with union representatives to keep its employees safe in the best interests.

Rotating work stoppages by hotel workers started in early July 2023and which were framed by marches of thousands of employees and supporters through downtown Los Angeles at the end of October.

Officials said that hotels remained open and that management and other non-union personnel replaced them in their positions.

It was even mentioned that asylum seekers who had recently arrived in Southern California They were hired to fill the job positions that were available by striking workers.

Hotel workers members of Unite Here Local 11 They began with work stoppages from July 2, 2023.

The first demonstrations They were directed at 21 hotels involved in contract negotiations with the union.

The second wave of hotel workers strikes began on July 10 and affected a total of 12 hotels in Southern California.

The Union managed to reach contractual agreements with some hotelsincluding the Millennium Biltmore, the Westin Bonaventure, the Loews Hollywood Hotel and the Laguna Cliffs Marriott, in Dana Point.

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