Santa Monica hotel becomes 1st in city to reach tentative deal after months of strikes

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Hotel workers march amid contract talks

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Unite Here Local 11 represents some 15,000 workers employed at about 60 major hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Its members include cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, servers, bellmen and front desk agents.

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (CNS) - Following months of strikes across the hospitality industry, the Unite Here Local 11 union announced Le Merigot in Santa Monica became the first in the coastal city to reach a deal.

The union announced they reached a tentative deal with the luxury hotel. Le Merigot becomes the fifth hotel in the greater Los Angeles area to sign an agreement during this round of contract negotiations.

"We value our staff tremendously, which this agreement reflects," said Jessica Rincon, General Manager, Le Merigot Santa Monica. "And we are proud that we reached this agreement while maintaining a positive relationship with our employees. We look forward to providing the level of service that our discerning clientele expect."

(Getty Images)

Once the deal becomes official, union officials said workers will secure:

Wage increases that will stay on pace with the soaring cost of living in Southern California
Affordable family healthcare
Humane workloads and safe staffing
Improved pension increases

The union identified Le Merigot Santa Monica, along with Loews Hollywood, Biltmore Los Angeles, and Westin Bonaventure to offer fair wages and benefits for its workers.