Thousands of Southern California cooks, housekeepers, dishwashers, bellmen and other Hotel workers walked off the job Thursday, July 20, marking the third wave of walkouts in the largest multi-hotel strike in California history.

The workers, represented by Unite Here Local 11, took to the streets following the hotels’ latest labor proposal — an offer they allege doesn’t include “one penny more for wages, pension or healthcare.”

However, the Coordinated Bargaining Group, which represents 44 Los Angeles and Orange County-area hotels negotiating with Unite Here, offered a wage proposal earlier this week that would give workers a $2-an-hour increase once a labor contract it ratified, followed by a $1-an-hour hike on July 1, 2024.

Annual pay for full-time employees like housekeepers would increase by at least $13,000 by the end of the proposed agreement, the group said, and it would preserve increases of up to $1.50 an hour for healthcare benefits over four years.

The strike has already fueled collateral damage.

Some organizations, including the Democratic Governors Association, Japanese American Citizens League, W.K Kellogg Foundation and “Vanderpump Rules,” opted to cancel or move their events elsewhere.

“We have decided to postpone our meeting until this is resolved,” a representative with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation said Thursday.

The Democratic Governors Association said it has shifted its summer conference — set for Monday, July 24 and Tuesday, July 25 — from the Beverly Hilton to the Westin Bonaventure, the only property among the 60 area hotels Unite Here represents that has reached an agreement with the union.

Unite Here’s bargaining committee also sent a letter to the American Political Science Association requesting the organization cancel its annual meeting and exhibition, set to take place Aug. 31 through Sept. 3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

More than 6,000 political science professors are expected to attend that citywide conference.

Pete Hillan, a spokesman for the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, said the walkout is pushing conferences and other events away from LA, and the fallout could well extend beyond the duration of the strike.

“Most of these conventions are booked in multi-year cycles, so many of these groups might not be coming back for five years,” he said. “And they always have the option of going elsewhere.”

Hillan said local cities also stand to lose revenue generated through the transient occupancy tax, which amounts to 12% of the rent charged to hotel guests.

Petersen said many Hotel Workers can’t afford their rent on the wages they’re earning.

Unite Here is seeking an immediate $5-hourly wage increase for all hotel workers, regardless of their current pay level. The union also wants the hotels to continue providing family healthcare coverage for employees, and it’s seeking upgrades to their pension plan as well as “safe and humane” workloads.

Gladis Avila, a housekeeper at the W Hollywood hotel for 11 years, said her workload has become nearly impossible. The hotel used to require daily cleaning of the rooms. But after COVID-19 lockdowns ended, management opted to have to rooms cleaned only after guests leave.

“We’re in the heart of Hollywood and people have a lot of parties in these rooms,” the 39-year-old Victorville resident said. “We’re finding cockroaches in the rooms, and we don’t have enough time to clean them.”

Avila said it normally takes an hour and a half to properly clean a room that’s been occupied for five days, but the hotel wants that done in a half hour.

The union also wants the hotels to support a controversial LA County ballot measure requiring them to house the homeless along with regular guests, and it wants to establish a fund to help pay for the construction of affordable housing for hotel workers who are struggling amid rising rents and mortgages.

The fund would be supported through a 7% tax on hotel guests, replacing the “junk fees” they currently pay for wireless service and other amenities, Unite Here said.

Hillan said those issues fall under the purview of city governments — not hotels.

The latest wave of walkouts includes employees from eight area hotels, including the W Hollywood, 1 Hotel West Hollywood, Pasadena Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton San Pedro and Hilton Los Angeles/North Glendale, among others.

Strike workers, whose contract expired June 30, have been walking off the job for anywhere from three to five days before returning to work.

In a statement issued Thursday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn expressed support for the striking workers.

“The hotel industry is built on the backs of hotel workers who must commute hours every day or work multiple jobs just to make rent,” she said. “It’s not right. I am proud to support the DoubleTree San Pedro hotel workers and Unite Here workers across LA County striking for living wages and better working conditions.”