As Southern California's hotel employees hoist up their picket signs, the echoes of discontent are being felt as far as Tempe, Arizona, where Hyatt Tempe Mission Palms workers have taken similarly decisive steps by striking over working conditions. In a dramatic show of solidarity across state lines, these industry professionals have been pushed to their limits, demanding respect and dignified employment terms.
Tempe hotel employees last week launched their protest, motivated by claims of threats and poor treatment. David Borg, one of the employees on strike, accused hotel management of attempting to intimidate him and his colleagues. Borg claimed in an interview with ABC15 that he was unlawfully suspended for protected union activities and had to deal with a heavy-handed response from hotel security.
In response to the allegations, Hyatt Tempe Mission Palms' Director of Operations, Colin Walsh, said, "Our purpose is to care for people so they can be their best. Our colleagues are the heart of our business, and their safety and well-being are always a top priority." Concerning the situation with the union, Walsh added, "We respect our colleagues' rights to voice their opinions," in a statement obtained by ABC15.
Meanwhile, miles away in Southern California, upwards of 15,000 hotel employees have left their posts at more than a dozen hotels. The call for action was amplified when the local union, Unite Here Local 11, which prides itself as representing over 32,000 hospitality workers, voiced their grievances. According to a USA Today report, what's at stake ranges from the demand for higher salaries to improved health care and the creation of a "hospitality workforce housing fund." The strike is said to have an unprecedented scope, touted by union co-president Kurt Petersen as "the largest U.S. strike in the industry's history."
Amid negotiations that hit a wall, a shining ray of hope emerged as the Westin Bonaventure, LA's largest hotel, broke ranks to reach a tentative agreement with workers for better pay and conditions. One worker, Nancy Cerrato, celebrated the breakthrough by saying, "With these extraordinary raises, I will no longer have to choose between paying my rent and putting food on the table for my family," according to the statement posted by USA Today. Yet, for many others, the standoff continues, with some hoteliers reportedly offering wage increases far short of the union's demands.
As tourism surges and the cost of living in Southern California skyrockets, the timing of these strikes signals not just a peak season showdown but a broader narrative on the value of labor in a post-pandemic economy.
