Who’s on strike? Labor disputes, walkouts, protests are rampant throughout Southern California
Labor action has ramped up throughout Southern California as workers bargain for higher wages, increased staffing and better benefits. There are so many labor disputes, it can be tough to keep track of them.
Here’s an update on some of the strikes, walkouts and protests that have occurred or are underway in the region:
HOSPITALITY
July 2: Hospitality workers from 46 Southern California hotels across L.A. and Orange counties have staged a walkout over the past month month in the largest hotel strike in California history. They are calling for a “living wage” that will allow them to afford to live in the cities where they work.
May 26: Scores L.A. County workers employed in hospitality, tourism, food service, entertainment and other industries rallied in downtown Los Angeles to call for higher wages, better benefits and safer workloads as they struggle to keep pace with high housing costs. Their contracts are overseen by nine labor unions that collectively represent more than 200,000 workers.
ENTERTAINMENT
May 2: The Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing 11,500 screenwriters, went on strike over an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The Guild claims the Alliance’s share from streaming TV services has cut heavily into their incomes.
July 14: SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union representing 160,000 actors, joined the WGA strike for better wages and protections amid a rapidly evolving entertainment industry. Performers say their annual pay, based on residuals from movie and television appearances, has plummeted in the age of streaming services. They’re also concerned over increased use of AI technology, which can re-create an actor’s likeness for use in future productions with no compensation for the actor.
Feb. 11: Performers at the Medieval Times dinner theater in Buena Park launched an unfair labor practices strike against the company, claiming management has given substantial pay hikes to workers at other Medieval Times castles while their wages remain low amid unsafe work conditions.
FOOD
Aug. 4: Cinnabon workers at Northridge Fashion Center and several other Cinnabon locations staged a walkout and rally Friday, Aug. 4 to protest a new policy that bans employees from displaying Pride flags, buttons or other decorations. The Northridge workers also claim they’ve also endured sweltering conditions because of a broken air conditioner.
July 20: Cooks and cashiers walked off the job at a McDonald’s at 2838 Crenshaw Blvd. in Los Angeles, claiming the restaurant’s broken air conditioning system was forcing them to work in sweltering conditions amid Southern California’s relentless heat wave.
July 13: Scores of Southern California fast-food workers walked off the job, protesting low wages, workplace violence, harassment and other unsafe conditions they say are plaguing the industry.
June 1: Non-union cooks and cashiers at a McDonald’s in East Los Angeles held a lunchtime protest, claiming management has pressured them to work while sick or recovering from serious injuries.
April 6: Southern California grocery workers and supporters held a rally at a Ralphs store in Lakewood, opposing the planned $24.6 billion merger of supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons.
HEALTH CARE
July 24: Kaiser Permanente workers picketed Kaiser hospitals and medical facilities throughout Southern California the week of July 24, claiming understaffing and employee burnout have undermined patient care.
July 13: Healthcare workers at West Anaheim Medical Center picketed the facility to demand higher wages and increased staffing. Nearly 200 nursing assistants, emergency medical technicians, housekeepers, food service workers and pharmacy and lab techs at the facility are represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers.
July 6: Workers from several Los Angeles County nursing homes kicked off the first of a series of protests, claiming severe understaffing and high turnover are undermining patient care. They held eight pickets over the course of three weeks.
May 11: Hospital janitors, medical assistants, resident physicians and nursing home caregivers rallied in Pasadena to urge passage of a bill that would boost staffing for California healthcare workers and raise their minimum wage to $25 an hour.
March 12: Garfield Medical Center nurses picketed the facility to protest low staffing and lack of training. The hospital’s 350 nurses are represented by SEIU Local 121RN.
LOGISTICS/TRANSPORTATION
July 19: UPS Teamsters held a rally in downtown L.A., seeking a new five-year agreement with better pay for all 340,000 employees, and elimination of a two-tier wage system that sees some drivers earn $5 an hour less for doing the same work as other drivers. They’ve also complained of exteme heat in their delivery trucks. The two sides have since reached a tentative labor agreement.
June 15: Amazon delivery drivers and dispatchers held an unfair labor practice strike at the company’s Palmdale warehouse and delivery center, claiming they’re underpaid and left to work in blistering heat during summer months.
May 4: Dozens of Uber, Lyft and delivery drivers rallied at LAX, claiming some have been unfairly terminated while others feel forced to accept unruly passengers because their rideshare wages are so low.