Dec 14 2006
Hotel Workers Fast For a Living Wage
GUESTS: Jasmine Ortiz, Parking Lot Attendant at the Hilton LAX, Vivian Rothstein, Deputy Director of Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE)
On Tuesday this week workers from LAX hotels ended their week-long hunger strike in support of a living wage. Sixteen hotel workers in all participated in the water-only 7 day fast held outside of the Westin and Hilton hotels on Century Boulevard. The living wage ordinance, which would raise wages to $10.64 per hour or $9.39 per hour with health benefits, is set to go into effect on December 30th. Hotel owners in the area have been actively seeking to overturn the ordinance passed by the Los Angeles City Council through a ballot referendum. In a first step, they are attempting to gather the required 49,308 signatures of registered voters in order to put the ordinance before a public referendum before it takes effect. Furthermore, on the last day of the hunger strike, the new owners of the LAX area Sheraton Four Points hotel refused to rehire twelve workers who were ardent supporters of the living wage cause. Union leaders have called the move retaliatory. Century Boulevard hotel workers earn 20% percent less than their downtown Los Angeles counterparts.
Sheraton Four Points hotel owner, Michael Gallegos can be reached at 858-964-5500.
For more information, visit www.laane.org, www.livingwagefast.com and www.hotelworkersrising.org.
One Response to “Hotel Workers Fast For a Living Wage”
i was in there with Miguel Corona every day together ‘couse all that people need more money, the owner’s pay to litle for all the work that the employer make it so really please raise money for those thank you