© Reuters. People protest in front of the Hotel Indigo during a strike by unionized hotel workers in Los Angeles and Orange County, in Los Angeles, California, US on July 2, 2023. REUTERS/David Swanson
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Thousands of hotel workers went on strike in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday morning as they sought better pay and benefits, kicking off what was expected to be one of the largest American hotel strikes in modern history.
Unite Here Local 11, which represents thousands of cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, servers, bell workers and hotel front desk agents in Los Angeles and Orange counties, said in a statement that union workers are struggling to afford housing in cities where in which they work. He suffered job cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic while industry profits soared.
A union spokesperson said workers at hotels across the region including the InterContinental and Hotel Indigo had left their jobs Sunday, during a busy weekend ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
IHG Hotels & Resorts, which operates the InterContinental and Hotel Indigo, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The contracts expired on June 30 at the 62 Southern California hotels, according to the Los Angeles Times. The union said the Westin Bonaventure, Los Angeles’ largest hotel, reached an agreement with its workers just one day before the expiration date.
The statement said the union is seeking to create a fund to house the workforce in the hospitality sector, and is calling for better wages, healthcare and pension benefits, and safer workloads.
Ninety-six percent of the hotel workers voted to strike on 8 June.
The Los Angeles area has been the scene of other strikes or threats to walk out in recent months.
In the entertainment sector, Hollywood writers left their jobs in early May as their union contract expired. SAG-AFTRA union representatives temporarily sidestepped the strike as the union and major studios agreed Friday to continue negotiations through mid-July.