It Is the First Hotel in Santa Monica to Reach an Agreement Amid Citywide Hotel Sector Strikes and the Fifth in Los Angeles
By Zach Armstrong
After months of negotiations in one of many labor disputes that have sent workers to the picket lines, Santa Monica hospitality employees have scored a victory.
UNITE HERE Local 11 and Le Merigot Santa Monica reached a tentative agreement, the union announced, including wage increases that correspond with rising housing costs, affordable healthcare, better workloads and staffing practices, improved pensions, protections for immigrants and better access to union jobs for those formerly incarcerated.
The contract agreement, which goes into effect once it’s ratified (the exact date of which was not disclosed), will impact approximately 100 workers including housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers, front desk staff and others. Located a half-mile from the Santa Monica Pier at 1740 Ocean Ave., the Le Merigot features 175 guest rooms, an outdoor pool with a cabana, a fitness center and a multitude of dining options such as its “Dining Room” restaurant. It is part of Marriott’s “Autograph Collection”, an international selection of more than 200 hotels that offer exclusive benefits from the resort franchise.
Representatives from Le Merigot did not immediately respond to inquiry from Mirror Media Group.
The news marks Le Merigot as the first hotel in Santa Monica to reach an agreement amid citywide hotel sector strikes and the fifth in the broader Los Angeles area. Other L.A. hotels reaching agreements include Le Merigot Santa Monica, the Loews Hollywood, Biltmore Los Angeles, and the Westin Bonaventure, according to a news release.
In late September, Santa Monica hotel workers at Fairmont Miramar, Le Méridien Delfina Santa Monica, Viceroy Santa Monica, Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Monica and Courtyard Santa Monica walked out on the job after a stalemate in wage negotiations.
According to a news release from UNITE HERE, the Le Meridien Delfina has used unhoused migrants to fill staffing gaps amid the strikes while picketing workers at the Fairmont Miramar experienced violence.
UHL 11 represents approximately 32,000 workers across Southern California and Arizona employed in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas, and convention centers.
