From today’s Los Angeles Times:
As Los Angeles braces for the largest U.S. hotel worker strike in recent memory, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown announced it reached a tentative deal for higher pay and other benefits Wednesday evening with the union representing its employees.
More than 15,000 union employees at 62 hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties are scheduled to walk off the job as soon as Saturday after their contracts expire at midnight on June 30. They are seeking higher pay, which might allow them to live in more expensive areas closer to their jobs, as well as improved benefits and working conditions.
The Bonaventure deal is the first among many that will be needed to avert the planned strike. According to Unite Here Local 11 Co-President, Kurt Petersen, workers are slated to ratify the deal in the coming days and the agreement will set a standard for other hotels in the region. The Bonaventure is the largest among the hotels in Los Angeles, with more than 600 workers.
“It is the first domino to fall, but it is a big domino. We applaud the Bonaventure for putting the workers and the city first,” Petersen said. “This is the best contract ever for hotel workers in Los Angeles and sets a standard for workers in this city. There is still work to do, but it takes steps as we head towards the World Cup and Olympics.”
Although the exact details of the agreement have not been ratified yet, Petersen said the deal fulfills the “five pillars” of the union’s bargaining plan. Bonaventure workers will receive higher wages, affordable health insurance at less than $20 per month and increases in pension contributions. The agreement also addresses the reduction in daily room cleanings, guaranteeing a restoration of staffing to pre-pandemic levels. Workers who are not currently part of a union will have an opportunity to join unions without intimidation.
Read the complete story here.