Yesterday, Unite Here! Local 11, the hotel workers union, announced the details of its settlement with thirty four hotels across the Southern California region. The deal includes settlements with two Santa Monica hotels that had been previously announced, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows and Le Merigot.
“The healthcare we were able to keep for me is life-saving. I was able to beat cancer thanks to the medical care I received, and because of that I found the strength to beat this fight too. To my colleagues who continue to fight for a contract, let’s not give up. We are going to support them until the end,” said Arturo Huezo, houseman at the Fairmont Miramar Santa Monica for 30 years.
In a media statement, Unite Here! announced wage increases and healthcare benefits that would allow workers to live nearer to the hotels where they work, even in places where both rent and home ownership are high such as Santa Monica. Workers will earn an average of 40%-50% more in wages than they do now.
Workers also won a guarantee that the healthcare benefits won in past bargaining agreements will continue as well as what Unite Here terms “ground-breaking language guaranteeing fair workloads and pre-pandemic staffing guarantees, along with automatic daily room cleaning.”
There are still dozens of hotels across the region that have not reached agreement with the union including five in Santa Monica. These hotels are:
- The Courtyard Marriott
- The Hampton Inn and Suites
- Le Meridien Delfina
- Proper Hotel
- The Viceroy
While celebrating with the hotels that reached agreement yesterday, Unite Here! has vowed to continue the strike against those still holding out.
“…every greedy hotel who is still failing to meet the new standard, listen up! We are not stopping until all workers get what they deserve,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here! Local 11.
