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Raising minimum wage for tourism workers
A proposal to raise the minimum wage for Los Angeles tourism workers was introduced at City Hall Wednesday.
LOS ANGELES - A proposal to raise the minimum wage for Los Angeles tourism workers was introduced at City Hall Wednesday.
The motion from Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price would raise the minimum wage from $16 an hour to $25 an hour for tourism workers.
More than 100 tourism workers, specifically hotel and Los Angeles International Airport workers who would be impacted by the proposal, joined the councilman at a press conference Wednesday morning to speak to the difficulty of surviving on the current wage.
Price and the SEIU United Service Workers West and Unite Here Local 11, the unions representing hotel and airport workers, want wages to be commensurate with a "world-class" tourism economy and city, he said. The proposed ordinance, seconded by Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, would also fix what Price called loopholes in current policies to make sure workers have adequate access to health care and housing.
"Los Angeles is assuring future growth for the industry as it gears up to host global events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics," Price said in a statement. "Meanwhile, wages aren't enough to keep tourism workers housed, as Los Angeles grapples with an unprecedented housing crisis. Many of the working people who are the foundation of L.A.'s tourism economy, working in L.A. hotels and at LAX, are struggling to survive on the city's current living wage, facing housing and food insecurity, or forced to work two jobs."
Price said on Twitter that his proposal would benefit individuals employed at Los Angeles-area hotels with 60 or more rooms, and workers in certain occupations at LAX such as janitors, airplane cabin cleaners, airline catering workers and security officers.
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The proposal would ensure the future growth of the tourism industry as it gears up to host global events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games, Price said.
"Many of the working people who are the foundation of LA's tourism economy, working in LA hotels and at LAX, are struggling to survive on the city’s current living wage, facing housing and food insecurity, or forced to work two jobs," Price said.
The city's minimum wage will increase to $16.78 per hour on July 1.
The council will consider Price's motion at a future meeting.
City News Service contributed to this report.