Hospitality employees rallied in downtown L.A. to express their demands

Los Angeles, California – A group of housekeepers and other hotel employees gathered in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon to express their demands.

The group of employees came to hand more than 61,000 signatures to the city clerk’s office, which was required to qualify the “Hotel Worker Protection Initiative” for the November ballot.

Those who belong to the union say that they want raises in wages and more safety measures to keep them from being assaulted or threatened with violence, as well.

“We are at last on the road to rebuilding an economy rooted in fairness and dignity, because it’s been a long, dark time during this pandemic. The last two years have been extraordinarily difficult for hospitality workers. I would argue that no one has suffered the crushing weight of this pandemic more than bartenders, servers, room attendants, dishwashers, and cooks,” said Kurt Petersen, from the union representing the hotel workers.

According to the union, the effort is a near match to the protections that hospitality employees have obtained in Long Beach, West Hollywood, and Santa Monica.