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About The New Century Campaign
Transforming the LAX Hotel Industry and Alleviating Poverty in Nearby Communities
For the past few years, a coalition of community, civic and faith leaders organized by LAANE has been engaged in an effort to address conditions for the 3,500 workers employed at hotels near the Los Angeles International Airport. The coalition has played an integral role in transforming the area by organizing local community involvement, gathering thousands of signatures in support of policy changes, participating in numerous rallies, passing city policy and testifying at public hearings as part of a citywide mobilization in support of hotel workers on Century Boulevard.
The Coalition for a New Century has supported workers throughout their struggle to improve working conditions for themselves and their families. Thanks to the efforts of the Coalition, workers at four major hotels on the LAX corridor have signed union contracts including the Westin, Four Points Sheraton, Sheraton Gateway, and most recently, Radisson LAX. These union contracts cover nearly 1,000 workers and their families, providing living wages, guaranteed significant wage increases, and free or affordable health insurance.
The Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy estimates that over the life of the contract the economic benefit of the four union contracts on Century Blvd will mean that hotel workers will earn an extra $12.3 million in wages through 2012. This extra income will directly benefit local communities and the LAX area where these workers live and work. Of that $12.3 million, workers will reinvest over two-thirds, or an estimated $8.4 million, back into the local community.
The battle to gain workers’ rights continues to be fought at the Hilton LAX, which is still under boycott. The Hilton LAX has undertaken severe retaliatory actions against workers who engaged in organizing activities and exercised their free speech rights.
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