Los Angeles’s Democratic leaders are banking on a tourism boom — but a planned $30 minimum wage for hotel staff has owners seeing red.
As the city gears up to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics, a new law aimed at raising hotel workers’ pay has sparked a high-stakes clash between unions and the travel industry.
Hotels with more than 60 rooms must pay workers at least $25 a hour from July, rising to $30 for the Olympics, under the bill signed by Mayor Karen Bass on May 27.
Supporters say the law is overdue, noting that a single adult in LA County now needs around $28 an hour just to cover basic expenses.
‘Hotel workers often live paycheck to paycheck and are frequently forced to work two or three jobs,’ the measure reads.
But business leaders warn the wage hikes could devastate the city’s tourism economy.