Hospitality union Unite Here Local 11 has called for a boycott of three Los Angeles-area hotels amid allegations of violence along its striking workers’ picket lines.
Video footage from each of the three hotels — Hotel Maya in Long Beach, Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point and Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica — shows incidents of alleged physical or verbal altercations with striking workers taking place at the properties.
The allegations are the latest escalation in California’s largest multihotel strike, which has been ongoing for over six weeks and spans hotels across the region.
Video footage from the Hotel Maya, a DoubleTree by Hilton property posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, shows what appears to be strikers’ picket line being forcibly relocated with a chain link fence. It also shows a person running around the fence to punch a picketer in the head. The union said the assailant was a guest.
A video on the X platform from the Fairmont Miramar shows security guards tackling picketers to the ground. Another video, from the Laguna Cliffs Marriott, shows noted chef John Tesar yelling profanities at the workers.
The Hotel Association of Los Angeles claims violence at the Hotel Maya was in response to strikers disrupting a wedding at the property, Coordinated Bargaining Group spokesperson Pete Hillan shared with Hotel Dive.
In a letter to elected officials who have declared support for the union, HALA President and CEO Heather Rozman wrote: “Free speech is always protected. Violence is not.” Rozman alleged that the bride and groom at Hotel Maya faced “physical and verbal abuse.”
“Protecting communities from Unite Here Local 11’s unlawful activities is necessary,” she added. “Without it, the union’s disruptive behavior gets a stamp of approval—and only encourages more violence.”
Spokespeople for Hotel Maya and Hilton declined to comment.
Workers’ concerns
Meanwhile, some striking workers say the incidents of alleged violence add an extra layer of precarity to striking for those currently without health benefits.
“I was punched in the face while peacefully protesting for a living wage, and hotel security and management not only did nothing to stop the violence, but actually participated in it by trying to forcibly relocate our picket line using a chain link fence. I don’t have health insurance and now on top of worrying about my bills, I have to figure out how to pay my medical expenses,” said Carlos Cheverri Canalés, a striking worker who is calling for a boycott of Hotel Maya, in a statement.
“For 38 years I have welcomed guests into Santa Monica, but the moment I stood up for a better life for me and my family, security tackled me to the ground while we were trying to establish a picket line in front of the hotel,” said German Martinez, a dishwasher on strike at the Fairmont Miramar.
A spokesperson for hospitality management company Aimbridge Hospitality, which operates the Laguna Cliffs Marriott, told Hotel Dive: “Safety and security of all guests and associates is of paramount importance, and we have zero tolerance for violence of any kind. We take these allegations very seriously and are investigating these claims as part of our commitment to operating welcoming and inclusive hospitality destinations.”
The ongoing strike
Earlier this month, the union filed a federal unfair labor practice charge against the hotels; Aimbridge Hospitality; and the Coordinated Bargaining Group, which represents 44 Los Angeles and Orange County hotels. The ULP charge alleges that the employers have interfered with their employees’ right to organize by unlawfully committing or condoning violence against employees in response to strike activity.
ULP charges are reciprocal — in July, the Coordinated Bargaining Group filed ULP charges against Unite Here Local 11, claiming its contract stipulations violate the law.
Only one hotel in Southern California, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, has made a deal with union workers to prevent a work stoppage. Meanwhile, animosity between hotels and striking workers continues elsewhere in the region.
The union has called the American Political Science Association to cancel its annual meeting and exhibition, which is scheduled for the first weekend of September. Earlier this month, the union called for Taylor Swift to cancel her six nights of concerts at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium.
Fairmont Miramar did not respond to Hotel Dive’s request for comment.
