Thousands of hotel workers in the Los Angeles area are on strike this week.
The workers, who walked off the job Sunday, are asking for better pay, limits on their workloads and help with housing for servers, bellhops, dishwashers and front desk staff in Los Angeles.
The strike during the July Fourth holiday puts an even greater strain on the hotel industry in Los Angeles. Most hotel guests are receiving only limited service as a result.
Hotel representatives say the labor union has acted in bad faith in negotiations and did not do all it could to prevent a strike.
According to hotel representatives, Unite Here Local 11 canceled a meeting on June 28 and refused to meet before the contract expired.
However, union officials say the hotels have had their demands since April and have moved very little on key issues.
Workers are asking for a $5-an-hour raise for all workers and in-depth plans for raises in the coming years. They are also asking for hotels to set up a 7% surcharge to fund a housing program that would help employees live closer to work.
Negotiations have not resumed since the strike began Sunday, and it is unclear when they will restart.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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