State Supreme Court Denies LAX Hotels' Appeal On Wages
Daily Breeze - April 11 2008
By Rick Orlov
A group seeking to impose a "living wage" on hotels near Los Angeles International Airport estimates that workers there have lost more than $4.6 million over the past 17 months as legal challenges over the issue continue and one hotel has agreed to unionize.
The New Century Coalition, which has been behind the effort to get higher wages for workers at the seven LAX-area hotels, was set to formally release its findings today at a news conference with city officials.
The group said its study found the hotel workers lost an average of about $2,300 each as a result of the lower pay, with the range of pay loss coming in at a low of $648 for night cleaners to as much as $3,964 for food servers.
The case is now before the state Supreme Court on an appeal by the hotels, which insist the Los Angeles City Council acted improperly when it amended the measure to void a referendum that had qualified for the ballot.
A decision on whether the court will hear the case is expected in April.
The city had argued the hotels benefit from billions of dollars of investment in LAX and should be required to pay the higher wages - $9.39 an hour with health benefits or $10.64 an hour without benefits - to their workers.
The LAX Westin last week announced it was opting out of the legal challenge and agreeing to allow its workers to unionize.
The New Century Coalition said its study dates back to November 2006, when the City Council first approved the living wage requirement.
In that period, the group said the hotels saw a $30.1 million increase in revenue - six times more than it would have had to pay its workers.
The hotel industry has argued it should not be subject to such city regulations since the LAX-area hotels do not have a direct contract with the city and the requirement would place them at a competitive disadvantage with other hotels.
rick.orlov@dailynews.com
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For over 20 years, Isabel “Segunda” Brentner has worked at the LAX Hilton, keeping her focus on her family and her job. “My priorities [were] to help my family,” says Brentner, who, along with raising her own children, cared for both her father and grandmother when they were ill. 
Enedina Alvarez, a 54-year-old single parent, says she must be both mother and father to her teenage children. Yet, with two jobs, she has barely enough money to house, feed and clothe them—and precious little time to spend with them. Although she receives health insurance through her job, she cannot afford to insure her children. Alvarez says, “I pray to God that my kids do not get sick because I cannot pay the medical bills.” 
Nearly all hotel housekeepers are women. The majority are women of color and immigrants.
