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Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Proposed ballot measure could force a citywide vote on L.A. 2028 Olympic venues
L.A.'s plan to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games was already facing a thorny set of challenges, including the scramble to secure lucrative sponsorships and the search for buses to shuttle athletes and spectators across the region. Now, organizers could soon be faced with yet another threat: a proposed ballot measure that, according to city officials, could force at least five Olympic venues to go before voters for approval. Unite Here Local 11, which represents hotel and restaurant workers, filed paperwork in June for a ballot measure requiring L.A. voters to sign off on the development or expansion of major 'event centers' such as sports arenas, concert halls, hotels and convention facilities. The measure takes aim not just at permanent projects but also temporary structures, including those that add more than 50,000 square feet of space or 1,000 seats. Former City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who heads Mayor Karen Bass' Office of Special Events, identified five Olympic venues that could be subjected to a citywide election, including the Los Angeles Convention Center, the John C. Argue Swim Stadium in Exposition Park and the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in the San Fernando Valley, which is set to host skateboarding, 3-on-3 basketball and other competitions. 'The proposed measure would make vital projects essential for our city and these Games potentially impossible to complete,' Krekorian said in a statement to The Times. 'It would also require costly special elections before even relatively small projects could begin.' A representative for LA28, the nonprofit organizing the Games, declined to confirm whether any Olympic venues would be affected by the proposal, saying only that it is monitoring the situation. Unite Here has billed the proposal as one of its responses to a business group that is seeking to overturn the so-called Olympic Wage passed by the City Council in May, which hikes the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers to $30 per hour in 2028. The union has not begun gathering signatures for the proposal, which is under review by the City Clerk's office. If it qualifies, it likely wouldn't appear on a ballot until June 2026. Nevertheless, it has already raised alarms at City Hall, where some elected officials have portrayed it as irresponsible. Councilmember Traci Park, who represents coastal neighborhoods, said she fears the measure will force a citywide vote on an Olympic venue planned at Venice Beach, which is set to host road cycling, the marathon and the triathlon. She said it would also be more difficult for the city to attract new hotels and possibly expand its Convention Center. 'This is an absolute assault on our local economy. It's spiteful and politically motivated,' she said. Park, who voted against the $30 tourism minimum wage, has been at odds with Unite Here for more than a year. Councilmember Tim McOsker, whose 2022 election was backed by Unite Here and who supported the minimum wage hike, also voiced concerns, calling the proposed ballot measure 'an attack on workers.' McOsker, whose district includes the Port of Los Angeles, said he believes the proposal would force a vote on a plan to create a temporary viewing area for Olympic sailing at Berth 46 in San Pedro. He also fears it would trigger a citywide election for a 6,200-seat amphitheater planned in San Pedro's West Harbor, a project that is not connected to the Games. 'This is bad for people who build things, bad for people who operate things, bad for people who work in buildings like these,' he said. '[The proposal] harms real people and it harms the economy.' Ada Briceño, co-president of Unite Here Local 11 and also a candidate for state Assembly, declined to answer questions about the criticism of the proposal. Two other Unite Here representatives did not respond to The Times' inquiries. The union's proposal, titled 'Ordinance to Require Voter Approval of Major Development Projects,' argues that sports arenas and other major event venues 'do not always justify their cost.' Unite Here spokesperson Maria Hernandez told The Times earlier this year that the proposal would apply to Olympic venues that reach a certain size, but declined to give specifics. She said it was not clear whether the ballot proposal would impede efforts to expand the Convention Center, saying in an email that 'it depends on the timing.' The ballot proposal would not apply to athletic venues planned by LA28 in other nearby cities, such as Long Beach, Carson, Inglewood, Anaheim and El Monte. As a result, L.A. could face the potentially humiliating prospect of hosting a Games where only a handful of venues are within city limits. 'If it makes it on the ballot, there are projects and events that will be moved out of the city of Los Angeles rather than trying to win at the ballot box,' said Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn., a business group. The city's future economic health could depend on the success or failure of LA28. Under its host agreement, the city would be on the hook for the first $270 million in losses if the Olympics end up in the red. Critics have also voiced concern that the quadrennial athletic event could displace low-income tenants, particularly those who live near Olympic venues. Voters should have been given the opportunity to decide whether L.A. should host the Olympics from the very beginning, said Eric Sheehan, spokesperson for NOlympics, which opposes the 2028 Games. Nevertheless, Sheehan voiced little enthusiasm for the union proposal, saying it doesn't go far enough. 'What would be stronger would be the chance for Angelenos to vote on whether or not we want the Olympics at all,' he said. The proposed ballot measure from Unite Here states that hotels can have harmful effects on a city, impeding the construction of new housing and creating a burden on social services. It goes on to offer similar warnings about large-scale development projects, saying they 'often involve significant expenditures of taxpayer money' — an argument disputed by some city officials. Those projects 'may take the place of other projects that otherwise could have more directly benefited city residents,' the measure states. Times staff writer Thuc Nhi Nguyen contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
‘Performative politics' on the council floor? That's an eye roll
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It's Noah Goldberg with an assist from David Zahniser, giving you the latest on city and county government. A few Los Angeles city councilmembers got in some final zingers before packing their bags for summer recess. It was the final council session before the three-week pause, and members were working their way through a thick agenda Tuesday. After weeks in which the main focus has been President Trump's immigration crackdown in the city, it didn't appear there would be fireworks. Then, Councilmember Traci Park rolled her eyes at Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez while he was speaking. And Councilmember Monica Rodriguez had some sharp words for both of them. Let's backtrack and figure out how we got there. In May, the council passed an ordinance to raise the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers to $30 per hour — higher than the city's minimum wage — with Park, Rodriguez and Councilmember John Lee voting against it. Soto-Martínez, a former organizer with the hotel and restaurant union Unite Here Local 11, which pushed for the minimum wage hike, led the charge at City Hall. Park said she voted against the ordinance because she thought that it didn't take into account economic realities and that it would result in hotel and airport workers losing their jobs. Park's opponent in a bitterly contested general election for her Westside council seat in 2022 was a Unite Here-backed candidate, Erin Darling. After the minimum wage hike passed, a business coalition called the L.A. Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress began a campaign to overturn it by gathering signatures to place it on the June 2026 ballot, which would at least delay its implementation. Things quickly got ugly. Unite Here's lawyer alleged in a letter to the L.A. County district attorney and the city attorney that petition circulators for the business coalition misrepresented their campaign to voters and even assaulted activists on multiple occasions. Meanwhile, a petition circulator alleged that she was assaulted outside a Food 4 Less in Inglewood by an SEIU-USWW executive board member while gathering signatures. The woman filed a police report, and a judge granted her request for a temporary restraining order against the board member. Enter Soto-Martínez and Park. Soto-Martínez quickly drafted a motion asking for the LAPD to investigate the petition circulators for fraud and other misconduct alleged in the Unite Here letter. When Soto-Martínez introduced his motion at the City Council's Economic Development and Jobs Committee last month, Park spoke up, saying it was hypocritical for Unite Here to complain about misleading campaigns when it engaged in the same tactics 'on a regular basis.' Park quoted from a text message campaign that she said dozens of her constituents had brought to her attention. 'A new complaint alleges paid signature gatherers are using misdirection and misconduct to collect these signatures. Don't sign the petition. Email Traci Park to tell her to stop this misleading effort to lower the minimum wage,' read a text message from Citizens in Support of the LA Olympic Wage, a campaign backed by Unite Here in favor of the hotel and airport minimum wage. Park said the text made it sound as if she were involved in the campaign to repeal the ordinance. 'I have nothing to do with it. No one ever consulted me about it. No one ever asked my opinion about it,' she said at the committee meeting. When the committee approved Soto-Martínez's motion on June 17, she voted 'no,' saying any investigation should scrutinize both sides of the wage campaign. The motion reached the full council on Tuesday. Park quoted from the text campaign again and introduced an amendment asking for the LAPD to investigate both sides of the petition fight — those aligned with the L.A. Alliance for Tourism and those aligned with Unite Here. 'We know that engaging in misleading tactics are not unique to one group or one organization,' she said. 'I know this because I have personally been targeted by misleading smear campaigns by the very group now complaining about this behavior.' Soto-Martínez fired back at his colleague. 'There have been plenty of things said about me that have been misleading and I didn't agree with, but I didn't bring it into this chamber,' he said. Soto-Martínez also said he wanted to draw a distinction between the text message campaign about Park and the alleged physical assaults against Unite Here campaigners. Still, in the end, he said he supported Park's amendment. Park could be seen in a video recording of the council meeting rolling her eyes as Soto-Martínez finished his speech. In a statement, Unite Here co-President Kurt Petersen called Park's comments at the council meeting 'unbelievably narcissistic.' 'Working people plea for her help after they were allegedly assaulted while they campaigned to raise wages. Instead of focusing on helping the victims, Councilmember Park complains about being criticized for her vote against the minimum wage, and equates criticism of her to the alleged political violence,' Petersen said. 'This kind of greedy self involvement in the face of injustice is a hallmark of the billionaire allies of Councilmember Traci Park, and it's why working people don't trust her.' Park responded in a statement, 'Kurt Petersen is killing jobs and tanking our local economy. Iconic restaurants are closing, airport workers are being replaced by kiosks, hotels are pulling out, and working families are losing, not winning. His divisive and reckless tactics are speeding up automation and driving opportunity out of Los Angeles.' Councilmember Rodriguez chastised both Park and Soto-Martínez. 'I think this idea that's trying to assign blame to one side or another is kind of futile, given the demands of what we need LAPD to be focused on, but I think performative politics is the name of the game these days,' Rodriguez said. 'Everyone needs to grow the hell up.' — SANCTUARY SUIT: The Department of Justice filed suit against the city of Los Angeles on Monday over its sanctuary ordinance, calling the ordinance illegal and saying that it discriminates against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. L.A.'s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities has resulted in 'lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism,' according to the lawsuit. Mayor Karen Bass called the lawsuit part of an 'all out assault on Los Angeles' by President Trump. Immigrant rights groups filed their own lawsuit against the Trump administration Wednesday, seeking to block the administration's 'ongoing pattern and practice of flouting the Constitution and federal law' during immigration raids in the L.A. area. — HOMELESSNESS DROP: Homelessness declined by 15% overall in three areas of Los Angeles in 2024, according to a new Rand study. The biggest drop came in Hollywood, where the report found that the number of homeless people decreased 49% from 2023. The number fell 22% in Venice and went up 9% in Skid Row, according to the report. The Rand study linked the Hollywood decrease to a series of Inside Safe operations in 2024. — SEE YA, CEQA: As part of the state budget, the California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131 Monday, which exempts most urban housing projects from the California Environmental Quality Act. The act, known as CEQA, has often mired construction projects in years of litigation. Gov. Gavin Newsom muscled the new rules through the Legislature despite concerns from progressive lawmakers and environmental interest groups. — MANSION SPEND: The L.A. City Council approved a plan Tuesday to spend almost $425 million collected from the city's 'mansion' tax on property sales over $5 million. Backers of the controversial tax — which has been criticized by the real estate industry for limiting property sales and reducing property tax revenue — say the fund is producing crucial dollars for affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs. — FROZEN FUNDS: The Trump administration moved to withhold $811 million from California that would have helped students who are learning English or are from migrant families. 'The [Education] Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President's priorities and the Department's statutory responsibilities,' the administration said in a letter to states on Monday. That's it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@ Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Los Angeles hotel owners push back against $30 minimum wage
Los Angeles hotel operators have criticised a newly approved ordinance that will raise the minimum wage for staff at hotels of 60 rooms or more to $30 per hour by mid‑2028. The change, aimed at helping workers afford high living costs, has sparked concern from industry groups who warn it could strain an already fragile local hospitality sector. Hotel executives report that many renovation plans are on hold and some services, including valet parking and restaurant options, are being reduced. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust's CEO Jon Bortz said attempts to sell properties have failed, while boutique operator Mark Beccaria postponed a £8 million refurbishment originally scheduled before the 2028 Olympics. Operators warn that lower upkeep and fewer staff could harm guest experience during key events such as next year's World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics. The move to a $30 minimum wage has been championed by Unite Here Local 11, representing over 32,000 hospitality workers. The union argues that soaring rents—averaging around $2,383 a month for a two‑bedroom—and high living costs necessitate the pay raise. Organisers are now seeking to extend the wage increase citywide via ballot initiatives, hoping to build support and counter efforts to block the law. Industry bodies such as the American Hotel & Lodging Association have initiated a referendum campaign that could pause implementation if they collect around 93,000 signatures by late June. If successful, the wage hike would be suspended for one year and put to a vote in June 2026. Meanwhile, unions have launched their own petition drives to secure the measure and advance a broader proposal for a citywide $30 minimum wage. The debate over the hotel minimum wage in Los Angeles underscores broader tensions between efforts to improve worker pay and concerns over economic impacts on a tourism‑dependent industry that has yet to fully recover from the pandemic. "Los Angeles hotel owners push back against $30 minimum wage" was originally created and published by Hotel Management Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Miami Herald
17-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Union launches dueling ballot measures, escalating fight over LA's tourism worker wage hike
The hospitality union that won a major increase in the minimum wage for Los Angeles hotel and airport workers is escalating its fight with a hotel and airline industry group, which recently launched a campaign to repeal the wage hike. Unite Here Local 11, which represents hotel and restaurant workers, filed paperwork Monday for a pair of ballot proposals. One would raise the minimum wage for all workers in the city to $30 by July 2028. The other would force a public vote on the construction of large hotels or major hotel expansions. That measure would also require a public vote on the development or expansion of "event centers," such as sports stadiums, concert halls or the city's Convention Center. Union officials described the proposed ballot measures as a response to an effort launched last month by a group of airlines and hotel businesses to overturn a city ordinance hiking the minimum wage of hotel and airport workers in Los Angeles to $30 an hour by 2028 by forcing a citywide vote on the measure. Unite Here Local 11 co-President Kurt Petersen said the wage proposal addresses criticism from business groups that the tourism industry had been singled out for wage increases. "We agree that all workers should make more," Petersen said. "We are hopeful since (airlines and hotels) think that only giving a living wage to one group is unfair, that they will immediately endorse it." Petersen said the second proposal would give voters a direct say in major hotel and event center projects subsidized by the city, as well as those that could take up valuable real estate that otherwise could be used to develop housing. The proposal would require that major development projects - including the creation of new hotels with 80 or more rooms, or 80-room expansions to existing hotels - seek voter approval before receiving construction permits. The development of event spaces with more than 50,000 square feet or with a seating capacity of 1,000 seats would similarly require voter approval, as would any development projects that receive a city subsidy, such as a gift of land or tax rebates. Petersen had previously said it was hypocritical for business leaders to fight wage increases at the same time they were pressing the City Council to spend tens of millions of dollars preparing for a renovation of the Los Angeles Convention Center, a decision made in April. The council voted last month to approve the airport and hotel worker wage hikes, which were championed by Unite Here Local 11 and Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West. The unions billed the proposal as an "Olympic wage," one that would ensure that their members can keep up with the rising cost of food and rent. They also argued that corporations should not be the only ones to benefit financially from the Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in L.A. in 2028. Soon after, a coalition of businesses, known as the L.A. Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress, filed paperwork to halt the law and put the issue on the ballot instead, hoping to persuade voters to repeal the ordinance. The alliance has argued for several weeks that the wage hike will hurt the industry, forcing businesses to lay off workers and thwarting the development of new hotels. On Monday, the group described the plan to require public votes on hotel and convention center projects as "one union killing other union jobs." "The initiative being proposed will kill the Convention Center project that union workers would otherwise have and the tourism industry would benefit from," the alliance said in a statement. "The union can play its games, but we remain focused on protecting L.A. residents from lasting, widespread job loss." One business leader separately voiced alarm about the hotel union's citywide minimum wage wage proposal, warning it would cause companies to pull out of L.A. and relocate to neighboring cities, counties and states. "People will lose their jobs. Businesses will close," said Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, which is based in the San Fernando Valley. "The city will become a barren land of empty storefronts and empty office buildings as employers go elsewhere." An official at the city's tourism department declined comment on the event center proposal, saying he had not yet read it. To successfully place the measure on the ballot in an upcoming election, the union and other backers would need to collect about 140,000 signatures within 120 days, organizers said. The hotel minimum wage, approved by the council in 2014, currently stands at $20.32 per hour. The minimum wage for private-sector employees at Los Angeles International Airport is $25.23 per hour, once those workers' $5.95 hourly healthcare payment is included. For nearly everyone else in L.A., the hourly minimum wage is $17.28, which is 78 cents higher than the state's. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
17-06-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Union launches dueling ballot measures, escalating fight over L.A.'s tourism worker wage hike
The hospitality union that won a major increase in the minimum wage for Los Angeles hotel and airport workers is escalating its fight with a hotel and airline industry group, which recently launched a campaign to repeal the wage hike. Unite Here Local 11, which represents hotel and restaurant workers, filed paperwork Monday for a pair of ballot proposals. One would raise the minimum wage for all workers in the city to $30 by July 2028. The other would force a public vote on the construction of large hotels or major hotel expansions. That measure would also require a public vote on the development or expansion of 'event centers,' such as sports stadiums, concert halls or the city's Convention Center. Union officials described the proposed ballot measures as a response to an effort launched last month by a group of airlines and hotel businesses to overturn a city ordinance hiking the minimum wage of hotel and airport workers in Los Angeles to $30 an hour by 2028 by forcing a citywide vote on the measure. Unite Here Local 11 co-President Kurt Petersen said the wage proposal addresses criticism from business groups that the tourism industry had been singled out for wage increases. 'We agree that all workers should make more,' Petersen said. 'We are hopeful since [airlines and hotels] think that only giving a living wage to one group is unfair, that they will immediately endorse it.' Petersen said the second proposal would give voters a direct say in major hotel and event center projects subsidized by the city, as well as those that could take up valuable real estate that otherwise could be used to develop housing. The proposal would require that major development projects — including the creation of new hotels with 80 or more rooms, or 80-room expansions to existing hotels — seek voter approval before receiving construction permits. The development of event spaces with more than 50,000 square feet or with a seating capacity of 1,000 seats would similarly require voter approval, as would any development projects that receive a city subsidy, such as a gift of land or tax rebates. Petersen had previously said it was hypocritical for business leaders to fight wage increases at the same time they were pressing the City Council to spend tens of millions of dollars preparing for a renovation of the Los Angeles Convention Center, a decision made in April. The council voted last month to approve the airport and hotel worker wage hikes, which were championed by Unite Here Local 11 and Service Employees International Union-United Service Workers West. The unions billed the proposal as an 'Olympic wage,' one that would ensure that their members can keep up with the rising cost of food and rent. They also argued that corporations should not be the only ones to benefit financially from the Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in L.A. in 2028. Soon after, a coalition of businesses, known as the L.A. Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress, filed paperwork to halt the law and put the issue on the ballot instead, hoping to persuade voters to repeal the ordinance. The alliance has argued for several weeks that the wage hike will hurt the industry, forcing businesses to lay off workers and thwarting the development of new hotels. On Monday, the group described the plan to require public votes on hotel and convention center projects as 'one union killing other union jobs.' 'The initiative being proposed will kill the Convention Center project that union workers would otherwise have and the tourism industry would benefit from,' the alliance said in a statement. 'The union can play its games, but we remain focused on protecting L.A. residents from lasting, widespread job loss.' One business leader separately voiced alarm about the hotel union's citywide minimum wage wage proposal, warning it would cause companies to pull out of L.A. and relocate to neighboring cities, counties and states. 'People will lose their jobs. Businesses will close,' said Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn., which is based in the San Fernando Valley. 'The city will become a barren land of empty storefronts and empty office buildings as employers go elsewhere.' An official at the city's tourism department declined comment on the event center proposal, saying he had not yet read it. To successfully place the measure on the ballot in an upcoming election, the union and other backers would need to collect about 140,000 signatures within 120 days, organizers said. The hotel minimum wage, approved by the council in 2014, currently stands at $20.32 per hour. The minimum wage for private-sector employees at Los Angeles International Airport is $25.23 per hour, once those workers' $5.95 hourly healthcare payment is included. For nearly everyone else in L.A., the hourly minimum wage is $17.28, which is 78 cents higher than the state's.
