Striking hotel workers are urging conventions to stay away from Los Angeles until the hotel industry “pays a living wage” and puts an end to violence against its striking members.
The move marks a significant escalation in the largest hotel worker strike in U.S. history. How much the campaign will affect conventions, often booked years in advance, is unclear.
The effort by Unite Here Local 11 has garnered support from several groups.
Ana Grande, executive director of the LA-based nonprofit Program for Torture Victims, said they moved an event two times in order to stand with the striking workers, who are represented by Unite Here Local 11.
“We wanted to support the union folks who are really about providing dignity to their workers,” she said.
Unite Here represents an estimated 15,000 hospitality workers at 60 Southern California hotels whose contracts expired on June 30. They launched the walkout over the July 4 weekend.
A bill recently introduced by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Burbank, would provide unemployment insurance for striking workers. Under Senate Bill 799, workers would become eligible for benefits after an employee is on strike for two weeks.
Max Arias, executive director of SEIU Local 99, said his union canceled its business with Hotel Maya in Long Beach to show support for the striking hotel workers.
“At our urging, the (Los Angeles Unified School District) school board also agreed not to do business with hotels that have active labor disputes,” Arias said. “Instead of responding with violence and threats, hotel corporations need to know that when workers are under attack – we fight back on the picket line and with our pocketbooks.”
The Coordinated Bargaining Group, which is representing the hotels in labor negotiations, said Unite Here’s call for conventions to steer clear of LA is going to backfire.
“Conventions that leave often take years to return — if they do,” said Keith Grossman, a spokesman for the group….
Read the full article here