The 14-month labor standoff in Los Angeles appears to be over—at least until November 2006.
Following a strike last Thursday at the Hyatt West Hollywood by Unite Here Local 11 workers and the threat of a lockout by the L.A. Hotel Council of the other six hotels involved in the dispute, the two sides reached a tentative contract agreement early Monday morning.
“I am happy to say that cooler heads have prevailed and we have arrived at an agreement and avoided a lockout,” said Los Angeles Mayor-Elect Antonio Villaraigosa in a press statement. The accord, mediated by the mayor-elect, was reached just before the hotel group was scheduled to impose a lockout.
Under terms of the agreement, non-tipped employees will receive a 65-cent per hour wage increase over a 31-month period ending November 30, 2006. All other current employee benefits will be maintained under the agreement, which expires November 30, 2006.
Los Angeles now joins the list of major cities, including Chicago, New York, Boston, and Honolulu, which have hotel contracts coming up for renewal in 2006.
The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by the 2,500 hotel workers in Unite Here Local 11.
“Because of this agreement, both local workers and the visitors who fill the hotels and count on their service can get what they need,” said Maria Elena Durazo, president of Unite Here Local 11 in a statement.
Brian Fitzgerald, president of the L.A. Hotel Council, added: “The agreement lays a very solid groundwork for reaching future labor contracts here in Los Angeles.”