Dear John,
I’m writing to you today with crucial updates on our campaign to defend the wage and protect tourism workers in Los Angeles. Most critically, if you’ve signed a petition here in Los Angeles this month, make sure to check the defend the wage website and revoke your signature if you’ve signed the anti-worker petition by accident.
For over two years, we have fought alongside the people who keep our tourism industry running—airport workers, hotel housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers, and airline catering personnel—to win an “Olympic Wage” that would raise their wages to $30 by the 2028 Olympics and provide access to family health insurance.
But immediately after L.A. City Council passed the ordinance, a group of corporations and industry lobby groups—including United Airlines, Delta, and the American Hotel & Lodging Association—filed a petition to overturn it. They need to gather 93,000 petition signatures from Los Angeles voters before the end of June to make it happen—and they’re pouring millions of dollars into hiring a giant team of signature gatherers from across the county to spread across all of Los Angeles to get those signatures.
There have been numerous reports that these signature gatherers have been misleading people about the contents and intent of the referendum, going so far as to claim the petition is to increase wages when it would actually overturn the wage increase. Many folks have been confused by the petitioners and have signed on by mistake.
We know that people want to support workers, not cut their wages! We’ve already seen an incredible outpouring of support to defend the wage and tourism workers. We’ve seen volunteers sign up and take time out of their everyday lives to spread the word and tell voters not to sign the petition. Phones have been off the hook with our neighbors calling in to report petitioners - and letting us know where to send volunteers with revocation forms. But time is running out.
We have just until the end of this week to go all out and do our part. Every day is crucial and every action makes a huge difference. Here’s what you can do:
