L.A. hotels hire migrants from Skid Row homeless shelter to replace striking workers. Gascón investigates
Summary
Date Reported: 23 Oct 2023
Location: United States of America
Companies
IHG Hotels & Resorts - Other Value Chain Entity , US OCG - Other Value Chain Entity , Aimbridge Hospitality - Other Value Chain Entity , Arya Staffing Services - Labour SupplierAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Venezuela - Sector unknown , Gender not reported ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Colombia - Sector unknown , Gender not reported )Issues
Child labour , Minimum Wage , Wage Theft , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure Time , Excessive production targets , Right to EducationResponse
Response sought: Yes, by The Resource Centre
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: The Los Angeles County District Attorney has said an investigation will look at hourly wages, whether over time was paid correctly, whether workers had proper breaks and whether children were used to replace striking hotel workers. The LA Times invited the owners and operators of the three hotels to respond to request for comment but they did not. The Resource Centre invited IHG to respond; its response can be read in full.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 23 Oct 2023
Location: United States of America
Companies
Capital Insight - Other Value Chain Entity , Highgate Hotels - Other Value Chain Entity , AV Professional - Labour Supplier , Marriott - Other Value Chain EntityAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Venezuela , Hotel , Women ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Colombia , Hotel , Gender not reported )Issues
Child labour , Wage Theft , Minimum Wage , Excessive production targets , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure TimeResponse
Response sought: Yes, by The Resource Centre
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: The Los Angeles County District Attorney has said an investigation will look at hourly wages, whether over time was paid correctly, whether workers had proper breaks and whether children were used to replace striking hotel workers. The LA Times invited the owners and operators of the three hotels to respond to request for comment but they did not. The Resource Centre invited Marriott to respond; it did not.
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 23 Oct 2023
Location: United States of America
Companies
Marriott - Other Value Chain Entity , Pebblebrook Hotel Trust - Other Value Chain Entity , Highgate Hotels - Other Value Chain EntityAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Venezuela , Hotel , Men ) , Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Colombia , Hotel , Gender not reported )Issues
Child labour , Excessive production targets , Wage Theft , Access to Information , Right to Food , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure TimeResponse
Response sought: Yes, by Journalist; The Resource Centre
Story containing response: (Find out more)
Action taken: The Los Angeles County District Attorney has said an investigation will look at hourly wages, whether over time was paid correctly, whether workers had proper breaks and whether children were used to replace striking hotel workers. The LA Times invited the owners and operators of the three hotels to respond to request for comment but they did not. The Resource Centre invited Marriott to respond; it did not.
Source type: News outlet
...
[Venezuelan migrant Norelis] Vargas is among those from Skid Row’s migrant population who have been recruited in recent weeks to work at unionized hotels in Santa Monica and near Los Angeles International Airport where workers have gone on strike. In addition to the Four Points by Sheraton hotel, migrants were hired at the Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica and the Holiday Inn LAX, according to interviews with migrants employed as temporary workers and organizers with Unite Here Local 11.
Now Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón is launching an investigation into working conditions for migrants hired at hotels based on information brought to him by Unite Here Local 11, which represents workers involved in the largest U.S. hotel strike. Gascón said he is concerned about potential wage theft and violations of child labor law.
“We are going to make sure this is investigated thoroughly. It will be a fair and impartial investigation,” Gascón said at a news conference Monday in front of Le Meridien Delfina.
“If there are violations of the law, there will be severe consequences for this. We want to make sure that our community understands there will be no tolerance for the exploitation of refugees,” Gascón said, citing reporting by The Times on the issue... Unite Here organizer Hannah Petersen, who has been working with the migrants, said some hired at Le Meridien Delfina were among hundreds of migrants Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shipped on buses to L.A. this year as a political stunt meant to harness anti-immigrant sentiment and deride “sanctuary” cities across the country...
Owners and operators of the three hotels did not respond to requests for comment. Real estate investment group Pebblebrook Hotel Trust owns Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica, and Capital Insight owns Four Points LAX. Highgate Hotels operates both hotels. The Holiday Inn LAX is owned by a subsidiary of Chinese firm Esong Group and is operated by Aimbridge Hospitality...
Eleven people living at the Skid Row shelter confirmed they had been hired at hotels where employees were protesting outside. Most had migrated from Venezuela or Colombia. Many did not provide their names, fearing repercussions.
They described heavy cleaning loads and long hours. Some said they were given no prior information on how much they would be paid hourly, although others said they were told on their first day that they would be paid $19 an hour. Migrant workers said they were not told and did not know the name of the agency that recruited them...