Los Angeles Tourism Workers’ Wage Boost Faces New Challenge
The effort to increase wages for Los Angeles tourism workers in time for the 2028 Olympics has hit a roadblock. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson has introduced a new motion that would delay the full $30 per hour minimum wage until 2030, two years later than originally planned. This move has sparked criticism from hospitality and service employee unions, who argue that it would strip hard-earned wages from some of the city’s lowest-paid workers.
Background on the Wage Increase
The City Council originally voted in May to approve a series of yearly wage increases for hotel employees and workers at Los Angeles International Airport, following a two-year campaign by labor organizers. The law was put on hold during an opposition ballot campaign but recently went into effect, with workers seeing the first increments in a series of wage increases designed to boost their minimum pay to $30 per hour by 2028.
The new proposal put forth by Harris-Dawson would instead offer smaller annual wage increases, eventually boosting the workers’ wages to $30 two years later, in 2030. This move has been met with sharp criticism from unions, with Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, stating that it is a “shameful day in Los Angeles when our own elected leaders decide to put forth a motion to strip hard-earned wages from some of the city’s lowest-paid workers.”
Industry Perspective
Rosanna Maietta, president and chief executive of the American Hotel and Lodging Assn., which had supported repealing the wage increase, argues that relief from higher labor costs is much-needed in an industry that has struggled to bounce back from pandemic shutdowns. The business group urges the council to “swiftly adopt” the new proposal, citing the importance of hotels to the vitality of Los Angeles and the need for short-term relief in the face of decreased travel demand and rising operational costs.
David Huerta, president of SEIU-United Service Workers West, which represents airport workers, has expressed concern over the timing of the motion, calling it “particularly callous” to introduce it during the holiday season. He stated that the union “stands ready to defend the Olympic Wage” and will continue to fight for the rights of tourism workers.
Next Steps
The proposal now heads to two committees — one dealing with economic development, the other focused on tourism — for consideration. The outcome of this proposal will have significant implications for the livelihoods of thousands of tourism workers in Los Angeles. For more information on this developing story, visit Here
Image Source: www.latimes.com
