Democratic Debate at LMU will go on, after both parties in labor dispute reach agreement

LOS ANGELES - The Democratic Debate scheduled for Thursday at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles will proceed as planned after both parties in a labor dispute reached a tentative agreement.

Workers with Unite Here Local 11 planned a protest at LMU on Thursday fighting for a fair contract with better wages and affordable healthcare.

All seven Democrats who qualified for Thursday's debate said they would not cross a picket line to attend the debate, putting pressure on negotiations. That included former Vice President Joe Biden; Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar; South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg; tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang; and billionaire Tom Steyer.

Related: Union says it hopes to resolve dispute that could postpone Democratic debate at LMU

Unite Here Local 11 represents 150 cooks, dishwashers, cashiers and servers employed by Sodexo, which is subcontracted by the university to prepare and serve meals for students and university employees.

Sodexo and the Unite Here Local 11 workers negotiated through Monday evening to secure a tentative contract agreement. 

The three-year agreement includes a 25% increase in compensation, a 50% drop in health care costs, and increases to workers’ job security.

The debate will start at 5 p.m. PT on Thursday.