Pasadena hotel workers strike on eve of the Rose Parade

Hotel workers at the Hilton Pasadena and Hyatt Place Pasadena walked off the job on Sunday, Dec. 31, hours before the city’s defining event, the Rose Parade, was set to drew the eyes of the world. The workers’ union said cooks, room attendants and other workers have no intention of returning until the festivities have concluded or their demands for better pay and working conditions are met.

On Sunday morning, the clamor of parade attendees at the packed hotels intermingled with the chants of about 15 employees represented by hospitality worker union Unite Here Local 11 as they shuttled back and forth between the inns to stage pickets outside the buildings. They carried signs bearing such slogans as  “Unite Here Local 11 On Strike (and “En Huelga” on the flip side) ” and chanted in English and Spanish.

Related: Complete Rose Parade coverage 

“I’m in the strike because the pay we receive doesn’t reflect the enormous amount of work we do. I struggle to pay rent and bills. Everything is so expensive,” said Luis Perez, a 30-year employee of the Hilton Pasadena, who works in shipping and receiving. “There’s plenty of business at the hotel, so it’s fair for them to pay us a fair wage.”

The union has been engaged in ongoing labor disputes with employers since July, in what its leaders call the largest hotel worker strike in modern history. The latest action at the Hilton and Hyatt Place, the two unionized hotels in Pasadena, began at 5 a.m. on New Years Eve and will continue during New Years Day, leaving the hotels without cooks, bellman, housekeepers and more staff during the busiest time of the year.

On Sunday morning, guests flowed in and out of the hotel lobby. A father and son, in town for the Rose Bowl football game from the East Coast, said they hadn’t noticed any chance in services.

But as the morning continued, it was clear the action was sparking some opinions. One family voiced their displeasure with the strikers, with one member adding, “if they wanted better pay they should start their own business.”

Some hotel guests were quickly coming in and out through smaller, more obscure entrances. Many refused to comment on the strikes and were largely avoiding them. Guests in the lobby were watching from the inside through the entrance door.

The workers, also including dishwashers, servers, bellmen and front desk agents, planned to conduct a New Year’s Eve parade of their own beginning at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Pasadena, according to the labor union.

“We are continuing conversations with the union and remain focused on reaching an agreement that puts our associates and their best interests at the center,” said a spokesperson for Aimbridge Hospitality, which owns the Hilton Pasadena. “While these conversations are ongoing, the hotel has processes in place to limit disruptions and ensure consistent service and exceptional guest experiences at all times.”

Joseph Co, General Manager at Hyatt Place Pasadena, said the hotel is aware of the strike and cares about the safety of its guests and employees. The Hyatt is owned by Ensemble Hospitality.

“Hyatt Place Pasadena has actively been engaged in talks with the union leading up to the expiration of the union contract on June 30,” said Co. “During these negotiations, Hyatt Place Pasadena continues to honor the expired union contract and its union employees as it seeks to reach a new agreement.”

The workers are seeking an immediate $5 an hour pay raise to help keep pace with soaring housing prices in Los Angeles as well as better staffing levels, health insurance and pension plans, union representative Maria Teresa Kamel said.

“This is the biggest tourist event in Pasadena and this event only happens because these workers are cleaning rooms, they’re making breakfast for people who have floats in the parade, they’re checking in guests at the hotels and they shouldn’t have to if they’re not going to be paid well to do it,” she said.

As thousands of people flock to Pasadena for the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl, local hotels book out far in advance and visitors overflow into several neighboring cities, said Lisa Derderian, public information officer for the city of Pasadena.

Derderian said that the city respects workers’ right to protest and has has been engaged in conversation with union leaders and hotel personnel to address concerns regarding hotel access and noise levels.

“Public safety is our priority and we have an obligation to protect the health and welfare and quality of life of those who live in the impacted area and who are visiting to enjoy the parade and/or game,” she said. “We are prepared for any potential scenarios although we hope any groups who have negative intent understand that we will enforce laws just as we would any other day of the year.”

The union represents approximately 125 workers at the two Pasadena hotels and 32,000 hospitality workers across Southern California and Arizona. For the last six months, union members have been walking off the job in waves in an effort to ensure workers can afford to remain on strike, Kamel said.

So far 24 hotels, a little over a third of those targeted by the strike, have reached tentative agreements with Unite Here Local 11, Kamel said. The Hilton Pasadena and Hyatt Place Pasadena have not.

Workers at the hotels say their wages have failed to keep pace with inflation and staffing has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Perez, for example, said he used to be one of two full-time employees who receive all of the merchandise that comes to the front desk and kitchen and distribute the supplies throughout the hotel. Now he only has help two days a week and said he’s doing more work than ever.

“It’s very heavy work and I’m constantly going up and downstairs,” he said. “The company saves a lot of money by not hiring another full time worker, but we’re being run ragged.”

Perez knows that the timing of the walk out will cause a lot of disruption to visitors, but said its a necessary sacrifice to draw people’s attending to the strike.

“I live in Pasadena and we get so much tourism from other cities and countries during the Rose Bowl,” he said. “We want them to see what we’re fighting for.”

City News Service contributed to this report

Source: Orange County Register