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Entries by Fabian Lewkowicz (6146)

Hospitality Workers Protest for a Living Wage

Hundreds of cashiers, cooks, servers, bartenders, and hospitality workers from UNITE HERE Local 11 march at Ocean Front Walk in Santa Monica on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. A group of corporate airport executives convened an invitation-only forum at a five-star beachfront hotel while hundreds of airport industry cashiers, cooks, servers and bartenders marched outside, calling on hospitality industry leaders to help solve the city’s escalating housing crisis by supporting an increase to the minimum wage to allow workers to afford rent where they work. Inspired by the more than 1,000 hotel workers and allies who rallied outside the American Lodging Investment Summit’s annual gathering held downtown two weeks ago, the rallying Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) employees, accompanied by many hotel workers, addressed attendees of the Airports Council International-North America’s 2023 CEO Forum. The event offered “an opportunity to help set the airport industry agenda for 2023” and featured “executive-level discussions on the North American and global state of the industry,” according to its Web site. Carrying signs that read “Affordable Housing Now!,” “Rent Is Too Damn High!” and “Raise the Minimum Wage,” the airport and hospitality workers pointed to LAX’s current minimum wage of $18.04 an hour as a contributing factor in their—and in other working Angelenos'—inability to afford housing in Los Angeles. “Although I welcome guests into our beautiful city every day, I can’t afford to live in LA,” said Eleanor Ramos, who’s worked as a bartender at LAX for the last 26 years. “After my apartment building was bought up, my rent went from $925 a month to $1,395 a month overnight. I am barely hanging on to my housing. I’ve seen how many senior citizens have been left homeless and I worry that that will be me someday.” The current airport minimum wage of $18.04 an hour would require an airport worker to labor 17 hours a day to be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles. “Today, it’s clear that there are two perspectives in the tourism industry,” UNITE HERE Local 11 Co-President Kurt Petersen said. “One of them is in that gathering of airport CEOs inside that hotel, where the bosses are celebrating their historic profits since the start of the pandemic, because airports and hotels are full once again. The other perspective is here, among us. We are not paid enough, and we can’t afford rent. More and more of us are forced to move to cities and towns like California City, Apple Valley and Lancaster because we can’t afford rent here in Los Angeles. That’s an insult and we must change this situation.” Closing out the evening, and as a nod to the hotel hosting the CEO forum, hotel seamstress and Gardena resident Carmen de Castro spoke of not being able to afford rent in Santa Monica, where her employer is located; of long commute times to and from work; and of an uncertain future. “It’s not fair that after 18 years of working for this hotel, we can’t count on a secure and adequate retirement,” de Castro said. “It’s not fair that we can’t count on a fair wage to be able to afford rent in the city where we work. That’s why I’m here today, to tell those airport bosses gathered inside that luxury hotel that we demand an increase to the minimum wage, but above all we demand to be treated with dignity and respect!” UNITE HERE Local 11 is a labor union representing more than 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona who work in hotels, restaurants, universities, convention centers and airports.
Posted on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 02:28PM by Registered CommenterFabian Lewkowicz | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

WestSide VW Club Meet-up

Highlights from the WestSide VolksWagen Club & Monthly VW Coffee Meet at Santa Monica Beach on February 5, 2023. WestSide VW Club & Monthly VW Coffee Meet meets the first Sunday of every month. All vintage VW's are welcome. #VW #Vokswagen @westsidevwclub

Posted on Sunday, February 5, 2023 at 07:32AM by Registered CommenterFabian Lewkowicz | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

NASCAR Sand Castle at Santa Monica Beach

Archisand Inc. Professional Sand Castle Builder Greg Leon builds a NASCAR themed sand castle at Santa Monica Beach on Friday, February 3, 2023. The sand castle is a promotion for NASCAR’s season-opening Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum Race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday. Archisand Inc. are professional sand sculptures from around the world for over 40 years. They are available for corporate events, engagements, and parties. Archisand Inc. are 7 time US Open Sand Castle Champions.

Posted on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 07:30AM by Registered CommenterFabian Lewkowicz | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

Golden Hour Grand Piano

People play a grand piano at the Santa Monica Pier on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. The piano plays, Golden Hour" by JVKE at 4pm.

Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 07:27AM by Registered CommenterFabian Lewkowicz | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

L.A. Shuffle Squad Meetup in Venice

L.A. Shuffle Squad (@lashufflesquad) Meetup at Venice Beach on Saturday, January 21, 2023. Music by Secret Sauce Events @secretsauceevents6256

Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 07:25AM by Registered CommenterFabian Lewkowicz | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

OBEY Santa Monica

Artist Frank Shepard Fairey (@obeygiant) @obeygiantart and crew paint a mural on the Pierside Hotel in Santa Monica on Thursday, January 19, 2023. Frank Shepard Fairey (@obeygiant) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. Fairey is perhaps best known for his iconic 2008 “Hope” poster depicting then U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama. In 1989 he designed the "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign while attending the Rhode Island School of Design.

Posted on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 07:22AM by Registered CommenterFabian Lewkowicz | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

Mounted Police Patrol Beach

Santa Monica Mounted Police Officers patrol at Santa Monica Beach on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

Posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 08:41PM by Registered CommenterFabian Lewkowicz | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint

Shopping Cart Tree Uninstalled

The Shopping Cart Tree by Artist Anthony Schmitt is being uninstalled at the Edgemar Center on Main Street Santa Monica on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. The holiday tree is constructed from 90 shopping carts. Schmitt uses shopping carts because they are a symbol both of abundance and a reminder of those less fortunate.

Posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 08:38PM by Registered CommenterFabian Lewkowicz | CommentsPost a Comment | EmailEmail | PrintPrint
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