Our Tourism Workers Rising campaign in Long Beach was anchored by UNITE HERE Local 11, LAANE, and CLUE. This victory was only made possible through our broad coalition of 75 local community organizations, 206 small businesses, and thousands of voters who overwhelmingly passed higher wages for our Long Beach tourism workers through Measure RW.
Long Beach will be hosting several Olympic sporting events, and both the airport and convention center are set to receive millions of dollars in preparation for the 2026 World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. While workers at the Long Beach airport and convention center are essential to the success of Long Beach’s tourism industry, many of their workers struggle to afford rent, groceries, and basic necessities.
In May, Mayor Bass signed a similar Olympic wage law that raises the wage for City of Los Angeles tourism workers to $30/hour by 2028. While Olympic host cities like Long Beach led the way to pay hotel workers a living wage through RW, in Los Angeles, greedy corporations like Delta, United Airlines, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association have funded a campaign, which has been marked by allegations of deception of voters and violence, to attempt to overturn the law.
The corporate pushback we face in L.A. is proof that we’re on the right path, and we will keep pushing forward to improve the lives of working families in our communities. Our victories in L.A. and in Long Beach are proof that when we’re united, we’re unbeatable.
