Hotel workers could be getting $30 an hour in Los Angeles in 2028.
There are some people at the LA28 Olympic Committee who are not very happy with the city of Los Angeles’ new minimum wage law. In December 2024, the Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance to incrementally raise from $20.32 to $30 the hourly wage by June 1st, 2028 about six weeks prior to the Olympics’ opening ceremony. The Los Angeles City Council gave final approval to updates in the city’s Living Wage and Hotel Workers Minimum Wage ordinance which will impact hotels with more than 60 rooms, and private companies at Los Angeles International Airport, including airlines and concessions. Local hotels are threatening to withdraw their agreements to provide discounted rooms for Olympic customers because of the Los Angeles ordinance. The LA Olympic organizers have booked 40,000 rooms for the event. Those 40,000 rooms may disappear at a discount rate or just disappear as hotel operators claim they will shut down. Of course with the trade wars going on, there might not be a need for 40,000 hotel rooms as in the first months of 2025, tourism to the United States has dropped significantly.
The Super Bowl, national political conventions, league drafts, the NCAA College Men’s Basketball Final Four and the Olympics are big events. The Olympics attract people but how many people are going to spend money shopping? There are claims people drop money in stores. Sure restaurants could get more business, liquor establishments could get some more business. Car rental places could get more business. Taxi drivers could get better tips. But are hospitality workers getting that extra economic impact? No. Hotel attendants will get the same salary although there could be greater tips for the people who clean rooms or park cars. Neither the hospitality industry owners nor LA28 are too happy right now.
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