Nine hotels agree to union deal, avoiding costly holiday strike

Management at nine hotels in the Los Angeles area will avoid a potentially costly workers strike after agreeing to terms for new contracts with a workers’ union.

Workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 11 voted overwhelmingly to approve the contracts for all nine hotels, the Los Angeles Times reported. The contracts raise the minimum hourly wage for employees to more than $25 by 2023, and also offer more affordable health insurance and higher contributions to pensions.

The new deals apply to 3,000 housekeepers, hotel restaurant workers and desk clerks. The hotels include the Loews Hollywood Hotel, the Sheraton Universal Hotel and the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, which is set to host the next Golden Globes.

Contract deals have not been approved at 15 other hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. Another 4,500 employees at those locations are threatening to strike if contracts are not signed.

UNITE HERE Local 11 says it has 29,000 members across Southern California and Arizona, and its leadership has been negotiating with hotel management for months. In late November, the union ended a months-long strike at Marriott locations around the country.

L.A.’s hotel industry is booming, with developers looking to build around 33,000 hotel rooms over the next few years. But any strike could be particularly damaging to the industry during the holidays. [LAT] – Gregory Cornfield