Overview
- The Los Angeles City Council advanced a plan in a Wednesday vote to push the hotel and airport worker minimum wage to $30 by 2030 instead of 2028 as negotiations continue.
- The council directed the city attorney to draft the delaying ordinance and set a follow-up vote for Tuesday, calling the measure a placeholder while talks proceed.
- A coalition backed by major airlines and hotel groups qualified a November ballot measure to repeal the city’s gross-receipts business tax, and organizers say they could withdraw it if the delay is adopted.
- City Administrative Officer Matthew Szabo warned repealing the tax would strip roughly $740 million to $800 million in the first year, which is about 10% of the general fund, and would trigger thousands of layoffs and deep cuts to core services.
- Unions including Unite Here Local 11 denounced the delay as a corporate shakedown, business leaders said relief from rising labor costs is needed, and the $30 “Olympic wage” was originally approved last year to reach that rate by 2028 for hotel and LAX workers.