As Taylor Swift‘s highly anticipated Eras Tour makes its way to Los Angeles this week, the city’s hotel workers are taking a stand for better wages and improved working conditions. The union representing 15,000 hotel employees has been staging rolling strikes since July, and they resumed their protest on Thursday morning at four hotels near LAX and SoFi Stadium, where Swift’s concerts are scheduled to take place.
Hundreds of cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, servers, bellmen, and front desk agents walked out from the Sheraton Gateway, Holiday Inn LAX, Westin LAX, and Four Points Sheraton, demanding better treatment and a fair share of the profits generated by the region’s bustling hospitality industry.
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Amidst the ongoing strike, California politicians, including Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and other elected state officials, have penned a letter to Taylor Swift, urging her to postpone her LA shows in solidarity with the striking workers. The letter, organized by union Unite Here Local 11, highlights the hardships faced by hotel housekeepers across Los Angeles, who work tirelessly to cater to guests’ needs but are struggling to make ends meet due to low wages.
The strikes have already impacted several major hotels, such as Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott LA Live, Beverly Hilton, Fairmont Miramar, Anaheim Hilton, and Four Seasons Regent Beverly Wilshire (famously known as the setting for the movie “Pretty Woman”). In their letter, the politicians stressed that the hotels will rake in significant profits during Swift’s concerts while the region’s hotel workers continue to face financial struggles.
Hotel prices in Los Angeles skyrocket during high-profile events like concerts, and as fans flock to the city to witness Taylor Swift’s performances, the cost of accommodations becomes exorbitant. However, the hotel workers, who play an essential role in ensuring guests’ comfort and satisfaction, often struggle to afford housing close to their workplace. Some workers have reported sleeping in their cars between shifts, while others fear losing their homes due to the financial burden.
Unite Here Local 11, the largest hospitality union in Southern California, aims to use the collective power of its members to secure fair wages and better working conditions for hotel employees across the region. The open letter to Taylor Swift serves as a plea for support and solidarity, urging the pop superstar to consider the challenges faced by the workers while enjoying the comforts of luxury accommodations during her time in LA.
As the strike continues to impact the hotel industry, Swift’s decision regarding her scheduled concerts in LA carries weight and may influence the situation positively. It remains to be seen how the situation unfolds, and whether the concerns of the striking workers will be addressed, but for now, the spotlight shines on both Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated performances and the plight of Los Angeles’ dedicated hotel workers.