Hotel and airport workers in Los Angeles are rallying against a petition aimed at overturning a new minimum-wage ordinance that promises them $30 per hour by 2028.
The Tourism Workers Rising Coalition, which championed the recent wage increase, held a news conference on Tuesday morning at City Hall’s south lawn.
With support from City Council members Hugo Soto-Martinez and Ysabel Jurado, as well as Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the coalition launched the campaign called “Defend The Wage LA.”
Workers are strongly urging the public not to sign the petition, which they believe undermines their recent hard-earned victory.
The coalition comprises several organizations, including Unite Here Local 11 and Services Employees International United-United Service Workers West, along with the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy.
The organizations stress their commitment to economic, environmental, and racial justice.
Maria Torres, a dishwasher employed by Flying Food Group, expressed her disappointment with the petition.
“I didn’t fight for over two years for this wage because I want to buy another yacht like the CEO’s backing the phony petition,” she stated.
Torres highlighted how the wage increase would significantly improve her life, allowing her to provide for her family in Honduras and maintain stable housing.
Supporters of the referendum argue that the ordinance will elevate labor costs, potentially triggering layoffs or business closures amid ongoing challenges in the tourism sector.
According to the recently passed ordinance by the City Council, airport hotel workers will see their minimum wage increase to $22.50 an hour starting in July.
This will be followed by annual $2.50 increases over three years, culminating in a wage of $30 an hour by July 2028, coinciding with the upcoming Olympics.
Additionally, a new health care payment of $8.35 per hour will commence in July 2026.
Unite Here Local 11 lamented the fact that the hospitality industry has already spent over $1 million to combat the wage increase and is expected to pour millions more into the referendum campaign.
In the two years since the ordinance was proposed, the coalition pointed out that high-ranking executives from major airlines and hotel chains received over $330 million in compensation.
The petition is heavily funded by industry giants including Delta and United Airlines, alongside the American Hotel & Lodging Association, an influential industry group.
Past efforts led by the union already succeeded in raising minimum wage in tourism-focused areas such as Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Glendale, and Long Beach.
SEIU-USWW president David Huerta remarked on the contradiction of spending vast sums to overturn a living wage instead of compensating workers fairly for their contributions.
“These are billion-dollar companies fighting to make sure that working families in L.A. don’t get a raise. Don’t be complicit. Don’t sign the CEO’s petition,” he implored.
On the other hand, the L.A. City Clerk’s Office confirmed the petition made by the Los Angeles Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress—a coalition of airlines, hotels, and concession companies at Los Angeles International Airport.
The petition was submitted just days after Mayor Karen Bass enacted the ordinance into law, showcasing a swift reaction from the affected businesses.
The coalition has until June 30 to gather approximately 93,000 signatures from registered Los Angeles voters to qualify the referendum for the ballot scheduled for June 2026.
Phil Singer, a spokesman for the coalition opposing the wage increase, voiced concerns about the ordinance’s impact on the city’s economy.
He claimed that it “threatens revenue Los Angeles urgently needs” and warned that small businesses could face shutdowns and significant job losses due to increased labor costs.
“We’re fighting for all of it: the city’s future, the jobs that sustain our communities, and the millions of guests the tourism industry proudly serves year after year,” Singer remarked, framing the industry arguments in the broader context of economic stability.
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