Posts tagged Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles tourism industry and labor unions brawl ahead of 2028 Olympics
July 1, 2025 // After the city council passed a $30 minimum wage law in late May for workers in the airline, hotel and hospitality industries, a group of business interests — signed by players in the local hospitality industry and funded by major airlines and industry groups like Delta, United and the American Hotel & Lodging Association — launched a referendum effort to challenge the new law. “We’re giving everything we have to make this business work, to claw out of the hole that was created by COVID,” said Greg Plummer, a referendum proponent who runs a 250-employee concession company at LAX. “Our airports are still down substantially in traffic. Tourism is completely down, and the fires didn’t help … it gets to a point where it’s going to crumble a lot of small businesses.”
LA lost 11K hotel jobs in 2024, new $38.35 minimum wage risks more, group says
June 6, 2025 // According to an April report from the American Hotel and Lodging Association, LA ranks last among major U.S. cities in post-COVID recovery, and with current visitor levels at just 79% of what they were in 2019. A CUF analysis of state data found the city lost 11,000 hotel jobs in 2024 as a result, and warned in a full-page advertisement on Thursday, the day before an anticipated final vote approving the new wage and benefit ordinance, that “this new proposal will kill more jobs and raise costs for visitors.”
LA Passes $30 Minimum Wage for Hotel, Airport Workers
May 15, 2025 // "Hotel employees in Los Angeles are paid the highest wages in the country, but right now their jobs are at risk,'' said Rosanna Maietta, CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, at a press conference last month. "City leaders are considering a damaging proposal that will jeopardize these jobs; it would devastate much needed tourism related tax revenue and lead to the closure of hotels that are desperately needed to successfully host the 2026 World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympics."
Unions will hold a three-day hunger strike outside of Los Angeles City Hall
December 11, 2024 // In anticipation of the Los Angeles City Council vote on Wednesday, Dec. 9, to increase the minimum wage for tourism workers to $25 per hour, and reaching $30 per hour by 2028, workers represented by Unite Here Local 11 and SEIU-USWW will participate in a three-day hunger strike outside of City Hall. Dozens of airport and hotel workers are expected to take part in the “spiritual journey of foregoing food and drink in hopes of inspiring … city leaders to stand with them and vote for an improved wage and healthcare benefits,” a union contact said.
Councilmember calls for report on driverless cargo handlers at LA port
August 18, 2023 // In 2019, the Board of Harbor Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a permit for Maersk, a global logistics conglomerate, to introduce driverless electric cargo handlers inside its facility at the port. Part of Maersk’s transport and logistics business unit, APM Terminal’s Pier 400, is one of the largest single proprietary terminals in the world, according to McOsker’s office. The Los Angeles City Council stepped in and voted to deny the permit to begin the process of automating operations at the APM terminal. Shortly afterward, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents dockworkers, and the Pacific Maritime Association — the group representing industry leaders — entered into an agreement with APM to proceed with the program. Under this plan, APM would deploy up to 130 driverless cargo handlers to shuttle containers from the docks to drayage trucks and rail, establish a workforce training program for ILWU members who work at the terminal, and pursue efforts to employ those workers.
Julie Su Pining for Labor Secretary
June 1, 2023 // The National Education Association, one of the largest unions in the nation, began placing ads in states with senators who have yet to commit to voting for Su if – and when – her nomination comes before the full Senate. Ads like these are running in Alaska (Murkowski, R), Arizona (Kelly, D, and Sinema I-ish), West Virginia (Manchin, D). None – along with Angus King (I) of Maine and John Tester (D) of Montana – have said for sure they will vote Su for sure. The NEA came out in favor of Su even before she was nominated, and unusual thing to do for the union, a union that – like its counterpart the AFT led by the egregious Randi Weingarten – pushed strongly to keep schools closed across the country during the pandemic.
LA City Council members want to give police chief more power to fire officers for misconduct
February 22, 2023 // Two months ago, Police Chief Michel Moore issued a letter reporting that all-civilian disciplinary panels were regularly rejecting his recommendation that officers lose their jobs, even when they found those officers guilty of misconduct. In 2020, for example, 12 officers who were targeted for removal asked for their cases to be reviewed by all-civilian panels. Although all 12 were found guilty, only three lost their jobs, the chief said. The union's board of directors said it was disappointed by the proposal, arguing the entire department is already overseen by a five-member commission made up of civilians chosen by the mayor. In a statement, the union also argued that police chiefs have misused the Board of Rights process by "injecting favoritism, settling scores and wrongly targeting officers for discipline."