By: Valentina Guo

Thousands of hotel workers in Southern California go on strike, demanding higher pay and more benefits.

According to AP, 19 major Southern California hotels were picketed over the weekend, but workers returned to the job on Wednesday. Upon entering the hotel on Wednesday for work, some of the workers were “ temporarily locked out by hotel management,” Washington Port wrote. Was anything gained from this strike? “their union warned that more walkouts could come at any time.” AP reports.

Nothing really was gained from this, as no contract deal was made. Because of this, workers at dozens of major Los Angeles hotels that have already authorized the strikes could walk out again at any point.

“We went on strike to show these companies what we were willing to do to win a fair contract,” said Joy Johnson, a housekeeper at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown LA.

“Workers have been pent up and frustrated and angry about what’s happened during the pandemic combined with the inability to pay their rent and stay in Los Angeles,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, the union representing the workers. “So people feel liberated, it’s Fourth of July, freedom is reigning in Los Angeles and hotel workers are leading that fight.”

“The hotels have more money than we do,” said Kurt Petersen, a president of Unite Here Local 11. “We have to be smarter and more strategic. But another wave of strikes is coming any moment.”

Those are just some quotes explaining how the workers feel.

This strike had only brought more problems to the hotels being striked on. This included delays with hotel bookings, orders, services, and just pausing the hotels in general. With the holiday, a lot of people were coming over to visit the city. Plus, an anime expo was happening near where the hotels were, and Cosplaying tourists came.

Despite this strike and the additional problems caused because of it, hotels in Los Angeles will continue to serve customers. (Or at least try to.)