The hospitality union, Unite Here Local 11, has taken significant steps to advocate for higher wages across Los Angeles by filing two citywide initiatives aimed at increasing the minimum wage to $30 per hour for all workers, not just those in the hospitality sector.
These initiatives were submitted to the Los Angeles City Clerk late Monday and mark a pivotal moment in the ongoing discussion regarding fair wages in the city.
The first initiative proposes to raise the minimum wage from its current levels to $25 an hour, with a gradual increase to $30 an hour by July 1, 2028, coinciding with the start of the Olympic and Paralympic Games set to take place in Los Angeles.
Additionally, the second initiative aims to ensure that any hotel or event center developments that receive city subsidies—such as tax rebates or below-market prices for city-owned land—will require voter approval.
This initiative will specifically target major hotel developments involving 80 or more guest rooms, as well as event center developments with over 50,000 square feet or 1,000 square seats, emphasizing the need for compatibility with surrounding communities.
As of July 1, 2025, the minimum wage in unincorporated LA County is set to be $17.81 an hour, while the city itself has a planned minimum wage of $17.87.
In a statement, Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, highlighted the burdens placed on taxpayers by tourism corporations, which often receive substantial subsidies.
He asked, “But we question whether big companies that find tens of millions to pay their CEOs each year and are now spending millions more to overturn a minimum wage hike for their lowest-paid workers really need these subsidies?”
Petersen stressed that it is crucial for voters to have a say in how taxpayer dollars are allocated to large corporations.
The union achieved a historic victory in May when local elected officials approved an ordinance mandating hotel and airport workers receive $30 an hour by 2028.
Starting from July 2023, workers are expected to earn $22.50, followed by $25 in July 2026, $27.50 in July 2027, and finally reaching $30 in July 2028.
Moreover, these workers will benefit from a new health care payment of $8.35 per hour, beginning in July 2026.
In response to the wage hike, a coalition representing airlines, hotels, and concession companies at Los Angeles International Airport launched a petition shortly after the ordinance was signed into law by Mayor Karen Bass.
The coalition, dubbed the Los Angeles Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress, expressed concerns that the wage increase would negatively impact the city’s revenue and economic stability.
Phil Singer, a spokesman for the coalition, was quoted in the Los Angeles Times stating, “Small businesses will be forced to shut down, workers will lose their jobs, and the economic fallout will stretch across the city.”
Singer emphasized the coalition’s commitment to protecting the future of the city and the jobs that sustain local communities.
To advance their initiatives, Unite Here Local 11 must gather nearly 93,000 signatures from registered voters by June 30, 2024, to qualify for the June 2026 ballot.
Petitioners can collect extra signatures but must ensure that at least 92,998 are valid, as duplicates and unregistered voters may affect the total count.
In response to opposition, the union has launched a campaign called “Defend The Wage LA,” aiming to educate the public about what they label as misleading signature-gathering efforts to overturn the minimum wage ordinance.
The movement advocating for workers’ rights includes various organizations, such as Unite Here Local 11, Services Employees International Union-United Service Workers West, and the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, dedicated to promoting economic and social justice.
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