Housekeepers’ Wage Claims Against Financially Distressed JW Marriott Santa Monica Le Merigot Hotel Scheduled for Hearing

Hotel owner Columbia Sussex marketed JW Marriott for sale as it faces mounting pressure from workers, members of Congress, and state regulators says UNITE HERE Local 11

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement has scheduled hearings starting in May for wage claims that eleven housekeepers filed in 2018 against Columbia Sussex, the owner of the JW Marriott Santa Monica Le Merigot, which according to JLL has marketed the property for sale unencumbered by brand or management. The housekeepers allege that the hotel’s burdensome workloads interfered with their ability to take rest breaks and caused some workers to work off the clock.

The wage claims arise in the context of a dispute over workloads and other labor issues dating back to 2016, when JW Marriott housekeeping workers voted overwhelmingly to join UNITE HERE Local 11. In 2019, the workers successfully pushed for a Santa Monica housekeeper-protection ordinance to make sure they were paid fairly for heavy workloads—and to make sure that employers could not respond to minimum wage increases by increasing workloads, as the JW Marriott Le Merigot had previously done. The ordinance establishes overtime pay for heavy workloads, requires training on public health issues and worker protections, provides housekeepers with protections against sexual assault and other threatening conduct, and ensures worker retention in the event of a sale.

JW Marriott workers are demanding that Columbia Sussex resolve the years-long labor dispute at the hotel before they sell the property, which appears to be in financial distress. Bloomberg reported on January 25, 2021 that Columbia Sussex was poised to lose five hotels, with more in trouble. In October 2020, Katie Porter, Ted Lieu and six other members of Congress from around the country called for a federal investigation of Columbia Sussex after it was approved for $50 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds from the program meant to assist small businesses.

JW Marriott management expressed alarm over the Santa Monica worker-protection legislation. During the debate leading to the ordinance’s enactment, workers alleged that hotel managers illegally pressured them to sign statements opposing the law, leading to an investigation by and settlement with the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board where hotel managers agreed to post a notice to employees promising not to engage in unlawful “polling” of employees. After its passage, the hotel unsuccessfully sued to overturn the law.

During the pandemic, Columbia Sussex has refused to cover the cost of health coverage for temporarily laid-off workers. The hearings for the eleven wage claims against the hotel have been scheduled for various dates in May and June 2021.

UNITE HERE Local 11 is the union of more than 32,000 workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas & convention centers in Southern California & Arizona.