Their actions highlight a wave of union activity that has swept Southern California in recent years.
Labor unrest erupted at two Southland locations Wednesday, Feb. 14 as LAX food and beverage workers launched a three-day strike over wage concerns, and LA Grand Hotel workers also walked off the job, demanding higher wages and increased staffing.

The actions highlight a wave of union activity that has swept Southern California in recent years as employees at restaurants, hotels and healthcare facilities rally for wages allowing them to keep pace with the region’s soaring housing costs.

The LA Grand’s 40 cooks, housekeepers, dishwashers and other hotel workers represented by Unite Here Local 11 earn a minimum wage of $20 to $25 an hour, depending on the job and tenure.

They’re also seeking increased security as the hotel provides vacant rooms to the homeless through the city’s new Inside Safe program, which is aimed at getting people off the streets and into transitional housing.