The City Council's Hotel Labor Peace Agreement may have failed last year, but that doesn't mean hotel workers are giving up in their drive to get better wages.
A surprise crowd of about 60 hotel workers and their supporters asked the council for its help Tuesday as they pressure Long Beach hotels for more money. The hotels are making millions, while many employees feel underpaid, they said.
I can't imagine the council making a foray into the realm of influencing employer-labor relations again, particularly with the backlash it evoked from the business community last time. And if the city couldn't afford to put the issue on the ballot last time for voters to decide (following a campaign by opponents to force the ballot measure), then the financially strapped city that is facing an almost $17 million budget deficit in the coming fiscal year certainly can't now.
But since the city courted hoteliers to bring them into downtown Long Beach and help boost the new tourism industry, does that mean the city has a right now to ask them to pay their employees better? That's what hotel workers say.
What do you think?
Paul Eakins reports on Long Beach City Hall, and local and regional
politics. A newcomer to the Press-
Kris Hanson reports on the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles,
covering environmental issues, economic triumphs and
pitfalls and trade trends of America’s largest port.
He also writes a weekly column “On The Waterfront”,
appearing Tuesdays, and also produces an occassional video
and column titled “On The Job,” which follows the hard-working
men and women who keep Southern California’s economy humming.
Karen Robes Meeks came to work for the Press-
Paul,
I represent several of the hotels that the unions are targeting. Unfortunately, the comments made by the unions and individuals were not reflected of the majority of hotel industry employees in LB. Hyatt, Hilton, and other major hotels in LB have had an overwhelming positive response to private surveys that allow the employees to indicate how they feel about hotel operations and management in secrecy. If the employees want to unionize at a hotel; all the union has to do is garner the necessary percentage of signature cards, submit them to the NLRB and the NLRB will call for a vote. this will allow all impacted employees to vote in a polling booth, which is how union and local elected officials are elected. That way there is no tampering by either side; and it allows the employee to voice their opinion in private via a ballot. If you have questions, please let me know.
Regards,
Mike
One woman complained she had been working there for 10 years and was making $10 / hour. She didn't speak English. You've been here for 10 years and you haven't bothered to learn English? It's hard to understand people that expect more when they haven't done even the simplest of things to make themselves more valuable as an employee.