The Los Angeles City Council is set to appear in a full-page newspaper ad Thursday — but not for reasons members might welcome.
The Center for Union Facts, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit critical of organized labor, plans to publish the ad in the California edition of USA Today just one day before the council takes a final vote on raising the minimum wage for hotel and tourism workers to $30 per hour by 2028.
The ad, titled “And the gold medal goes to… anyone but the L.A. City Council,” criticizes the proposed wage hike as harmful to the city’s recovering tourism economy. It features an image of a gold medal being tossed into a trash can, with a caption claiming the council is “ruining a golden opportunity.”
The policy, backed by Unite Here Local 11 — the union representing hotel and airport workers — would gradually increase hourly wages starting at $22.50 in July 2024, followed by $2.50 annual raises. Workers would reach $30 per hour by July 2028 and receive a separate $8.35 hourly health care supplement beginning in 2026.
Critics say the plan threatens jobs and deters investment, particularly as the city prepares to host the 2028 Olympic Games.
“L.A.’s hospitality industry is already struggling, and this drastic wage increase will only make the situation worse,” said Charlyce Bozzello, communications director for the Center for Union Facts.
She cited last year’s loss of 11,000 hospitality jobs and accused Unite Here Local 11 of “disrupting weddings, disturbing hotel guests with protests, and even trying to ruin a Taylor Swift concert.”
On Wednesday, the City Council gave preliminary approval to the wage increase in a 12-3 vote. Councilmembers Traci Park, Monica Rodriguez, and John Lee opposed the measure. Park, who represents Westside argued the plan is overly broad and lacks protections for small businesses.
