Los Angeles passed a $30 minimum wage. Then there is the voting measures battle

It’s the summer when Los Angeles burns out voting measures.

Over the past three months, unions and business groups have been locked in a lasting battle against a law approved by the city council in May, hiking the minimum wage for hotel employees and workers at Los Angeles International Airport to $30 an hour in 2028.

Both sides tried to gain the upper hand and proposed voting measures that, if approved, would destroy the city in a huge way and leave a huge impact, which would go far beyond the hourly payments of butlers, valets, valets and loose antennas.

Here, Local 11, a politically powerful union representing hotel and restaurant staff, wants to make four vote proposals before voters, which, according to critics, will wreak havoc on the city’s economy. Business leaders, in turn, have come under fire for filing a petition to repeal the city’s $800 million business tax, a move that has been condemned by city officials, who say it will fund police and other essential services.

Los Angeles City Councilman Monica Rodriguez said the arms race between business and labor is out of control, largely due to the lack of leadership in the city hall. Rodriguez said that as the fight intensified and no one was willing to compromise between the two sides, he voted against the $30 minimum wage.

“We participated in this battle of the Rose because none of us brought parties into a room that was effective for everyone, which could help maintain business and meet the needs of workers,” she said. “Without this, everyone takes things into their own hands – it’s reckless, sloppy and dangerous.”

Asked about the assertions, aide Karen Bass said she had “brought new business investments to Los Angeles” and was “discussing various issues with labor and business groups.”

“perhaps [Rodriguez] Bass spokesman Zach Seidl said:

“People are working to find solutions, so stay tuned,” City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said in a brief statement.

The voting battle began in May, when groups representing airlines and the hotel industry submitted paperwork for voter referendums on behalf of the airlines and the hotel industry after weeks in the city council.

Business leaders argue that minimum wage hiking and healthcare payments expected to exceed $8 per hour next year will trigger layoffs and closures of restaurant, hotel and airport offers.

The organizers united with Local 11 here, who fought for at least two years to ensure higher wages and took their own voting recommendations, including a plan that would require the city to elect large hotels, concert halls, museums, sports facilities, conference center spaces, and according to city leaders, as well as Olimon Sports Field in circa 2028.

Manny Morales, an employee of the Flying Food Group of the Los Angeles International Air Force, appeared in City Hall in May, demanding a hike in the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Here Unite (with a history of knocking measures and popular candidates) also filed voter petitions to expand the minimum wage of $30 to every worker in Los Angeles, and proposed two measures to enforce compensation for oversized implementation.

People will be asked to companies with a pay gap of more than 100 to 1 between CEOs and their Los Angeles median workers to ensure voters approved the use of space in ports, airports, conference centers and other city institutions. Another would raise the city business tax on such companies.

After four petitions were filed here, business leaders further increased their shares and took the proposed measures to abolish the city’s business tax.

If voters are approved, the effort would provide financial relief to businesses, but also divested more than $800 million from the city budget, or about 10% of the general fund, which pays police and firefighters.

The bass warned that the measure would fund public safety and other services. David Green, president of the 721 service employee local service employee David Green called the move “irresponsible” and “retaliatory” and said it would attack a city that was already involved due to a budget shortage of $1 billion.

“If you are part of this community…why would you go to voters, which hurts anyone living in and around Los Angeles?” he asked.

Business leaders defended their efforts, saying the abolition would stimulate economic activity and bring income to cities.

Christopher Thornberg, a Los Angeles-based research firm that provides economic research to industry groups and government agencies, expressed doubts about the abolition efforts, saying there are other bigger issues that have set the city’s economy back. However, he was not surprised to see the business leader start playing hard balls.

He said at City Hall, they have been effectively locked in the conversation for years – an urgent need for a way to get “some kind of leverage” with elected officials.

“Maybe it is [business tax] It’s that kind of leverage to get someone in the council to pay attention to them,” the economist said. “Because they are not. They just aren’t on the table. ”

Thornberg’s company has conducted a significant assessment of minimum wage hikes, and he expressed concern about every joint proposal here. He warned that the plan forced hotels, sports arenas and other projects to be carried out, and voters would then undermine the city’s ability to carry out “basic economic development.” He predicts that the proposed city-wide minimum wage rate hike will allow businesses and their customers to other areas in Los Angeles County.

Most importantly, the proposal for high-profile CEO Pay could shut down location shooting in Los Angeles, as it will apply to companies seeking a film license, Thunberg said.

“The unity here has earned a reputation that they are the craziest people in the room and will blow everything up in an effort,” he said. “What they did obviously live up to that reputation.”

Council member Hugo Soto-Martínez, a picture in 2023, is interested in the union’s proposal that raises the minimum wage per Angeleno to $30 in 2028.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Unite’s spokesman Maria Hernandez retreated here the claim that the league is reckless. She said the fight to maintain a $30 an hourly tourism industry was supported by the public during a bleak period as workers struggled to pay for food and housing and were frustrated by President Trump’s full-scale immigration crackdown.

“People might say it’s crazy or crazy, but it’s actually brave and bold, which should be more inspiring for people,” she said. “The community … wants to feel hopeful, win something, when everything will feel hell.”

Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez, who advocated $30 in tourism wages, disagreed with assertion that the battle for the voting measures was out of control. He was a former Solidarity Organizer here and said he tends to support a city-wide minimum wage.

Soto-Martínez also expressed interest in the union’s push to raise city taxes to high-paid companies for CEOs. He had a faint view of efforts to abolish the tourism minimum wage, calling it “despicable.”

He said airline companies that work with the hospitality industry put millions of dollars into their signature drives, collecting more than 140,000 signatures in 30 days.

“This is just another example – the public should know that – because they have these resources, they feel like they can do whatever they want,” he said.

The prospects for abolition are uncertain. Officials of Los Angeles County Registered Officials/County Staff are still working to determine whether the measure has sufficient valid voter signatures to get votes.

Here are united organizers and service employees of the West, serving employees of the Coalition of the International Union representing LAX employees, leading a fierce campaign that convinced voters who regretted signing the petition saying they were misled by the signing party members and withdrew their names.

Last week, county officials reported that they analyzed samples of 7,040 signatures, or 5% of 140,774 signatures submitted by airlines and hotel industry groups. Officials found 4,373 valid signatures, which were much lower than the 4,600 needed to avoid the full hand.

In the invalid signature, voters withdrew 853 times, giving union leaders more confidence to prevent referendums from getting votes.

Here, 11 local co-presidents, Kurt Petersen, filmed at City Hall in 2023, said his union urged a vote proposal to propose a city-wide minimum wage, limit city-approved hotels and undermine high CEO pay.

(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

“I don’t want to wear their shoes today. Their numbers are not in the comfort zone,” said Unite Local 11’s co-president Kurt Petersen. “The odds are better than getting a lightning strike.” [their measure] …on the ballot. ”

Even if the referendum is not eligible, here, Local 11 plans to unify its four voting initiatives ahead of schedule. Peterson said his union members have sparked efforts to protect a $30 minimum wage in tourism and will soon start collecting signatures for other proposals.

“We know our problem is very popular. People do believe that workers need to make more money and CEOs need to pay more taxes,” he said.

Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Business Association, said he believes voters will reject the measures and once they learn the effect will be “force the company to leave Los Angeles”, Unite’s leaders’ proposal is not about supporting workers, but more about sending messages.

“They want to do exact retribution and revenge on anyone who challenges them … and they don’t care how much work they have to do,” he said.