Dozens of L.A. Grand Hotel workers went on strike Wednesday and “occupied” a stretch of the sidewalk outside City Hall as they demanded increased staffing and better wages.
Los Angeles’ unhoused population have called the downtown hotel their home under Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program.
The homeless people who live in the interim housing facility receive many of the services that the hotel provided to its previous guests, including housekeeping and meals. Although hotel staff say they love their jobs, there are challenges.
“Working with this homeless is not easy for us so we need that help. The rooms are really messy. They’re mentally ill. We’re risking our lives. The rooms are like super dirty with you could imagine. Even though we’re just there to clean their room. They don’t want to come out. We have to make them come out. It’s so aggressive,” said Mirabelle Sfajardo, a housekeeper at the L.A. Grand Hotel Downtown.
City officials told ABC7 that if a member of Unite Here Local 11, the union representing the workers, doesn’t feel safe or doesn’t want to clean a room, they don’t have to.