Dive Brief:
- The Biltmore Los Angeles reached a tentative agreement with its union workers, ending a strike at the property, hospitality union Unite Here Local 11 announced.
- As part of their newly negotiated contract, the 300 workers at the hotel will see “unprecedented” wage increases, more affordable healthcare, improved pension increases and safer and more humane workloads.
- Biltmore Los Angeles is the second hotel to reach an agreement with its union workers, following the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, which struck a deal before workers were scheduled to walk out in early July. Unite Here workers at other hotels in Southern California remain on strike.
Dive Insight:
In addition to wage improvements and safety measures, the newly negotiated contract includes equal justice language that ensures access to union jobs for formerly incarcerated people and bans the use of E-Verify in hiring.
“We applaud the Biltmore Los Angeles for putting their workers and our city first,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, in a statement. “This agreement takes steps to ensure that workers who work in LA will be able to live in LA.”
Unite Here Local 11 represents more than 30,000 workers across Southern California and Arizona. Workers remain on strike at many other major hotels across the city, including the JW Marriott LA Live; the Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles LA Live; the Beverly Hilton; the Fairmont Miramar; and the Hilton Anaheim. The union says these hotels do not provide wages sufficient to keep up with the cost of living in Los Angeles.
Unite Here did not respond to a Hotel Dive inquiry about negotiations at other hotels. Labor movement momentum, however, continues across the region. In late September, workers at five Santa Monica inns joined Unite Here’s multihotel strike.
Also last month, hospitality workers in the Unite Here-affiliated Culinary Union in Las Vegas voted to authorize a strike, which could potentially involve up to 40,000 resort employees along the Strip.
