Introduction to the Campaign
Hotel and airport workers are expected to rally at Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday to announce a campaign in defense of a recently approved minimum-wage increase, and also to oppose a referendum petition that aims to overturn those regulations.
Members of the Tourism Workers Rising Coalition, which lobbied for the minimum wage increase, will also host a news conference Tuesday morning alongside City Council members Hugo Soto-Martinez and Ysabel Jurado, as well as with Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.
The Coalition Behind the Campaign
The coalition is made up of organizations including Unite Here Local 11, Services Employees International United-United Service Workers West and LAANE, among others. Room attendants, cooks, dishwashers, airline catering and airport workers are scheduled to gather on the south lawn of City Hall to urge Los Angeles voters not to sign a petition spearheaded by some business owners. Backers of the referendum effort say the ordinance will raise labor costs and could force some businesses to lay off employees or shut down as the tourism industry faces challenges.
The Ordinance and Its Implications
The recent City Council-passed ordinance would raise the minimum wage for airport hotel workers to $22.50 an hour starting in July, followed by annual $2.50 increases over three years. Workers would receive $25 an hour beginning in July 2026, $27.50 an hour in July 2027 and $30 an hour in July 2028, in time for the Olympics, as well as receive a new $8.35 per hour health care payment, which will begin in July 2026.
Opposition to the Ordinance
“Rather than paying workers what they deserve, the industry which has already spent over 1 million dollars to stop their workers from earning a livable wage, is expected to spend millions more on this referendum,” according to a news release from Unite Here Local 11, the union representing 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona. The union argued that in the last two years since the ordinance was introduced, the CEOs of Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Hilton and Marriott reached over $330 million in compensation. The petition has received major funding from Delta and United, as well as the American Hotel & Lodging Association.
Previous Efforts to Increase Minimum Wage
The union previously led efforts to increase the minimum wage for tourism workers in nearby jurisdictions. In 2016, wages were increased for hotel workers in Santa Monica; they were increased in 2021 in West Hollywood, 2022 in Glendale and in 2024, voters in Long Beach passed a similar wage increase, according to the union.
The Referendum Effort
Meanwhile, the L.A. City Clerk’s Office announced on May 30 that it certified the referendum effort launched by a coalition of airlines, hotels and concession companies at Los Angeles International Airport known as the Los Angeles Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress. The petition was filed two days after Mayor Karen Bass signed the ordinance into law and four days after the City Council gave its final approval. The group has until June 30 to gather about 93,000 signatures from registered voters in Los Angeles to qualify the measure for the June 2026 ballot.
Conclusion
The campaign launched by hotel and airport workers is a significant step towards ensuring that workers in the tourism industry receive a livable wage. The ordinance passed by the City Council is a major victory for workers, but the referendum effort poses a significant threat to its implementation. It is essential for workers and supporters to continue to rally behind the ordinance and oppose the referendum effort to ensure that workers receive the wages they deserve.
FAQs
Q: What is the proposed minimum wage increase for airport hotel workers?
A: The proposed minimum wage increase is $22.50 an hour starting in July, followed by annual $2.50 increases over three years.
Q: Who is behind the referendum effort to overturn the ordinance?
A: The referendum effort is backed by a coalition of airlines, hotels, and concession companies at Los Angeles International Airport, known as the Los Angeles Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress.
Q: How many signatures are required to qualify the measure for the June 2026 ballot?
A: The group needs to gather about 93,000 signatures from registered voters in Los Angeles to qualify the measure for the June 2026 ballot.
Q: What is the timeline for the referendum effort?
A: The group has until June 30 to gather the required signatures.
