California workers have long been advocating for higher minimum wages, and now tourism workers in Los Angeles are starting to see progress. The City Council has voted in the first round to raise the minimum wage for these workers to at least $30 per hour by 2028. Alongside the wage increase, businesses will also have to contribute more toward employee healthcare costs. The vote was not unanimous. Twelve L.A. council members supported the measure while three opposed it. A second vote is planned for next week.
While many see this as a step forward for worker rights and a fair minimum wage, others strongly disagree. The strongest opposition comes from hotel and airport businesses, who argue they are already struggling with reduced international tourism. They warn that the added expenses from the higher minimum wage may lead to layoffs, claiming they cannot afford the increased costs under current conditions.
L.A. workers in the unions don’t seem concerned by the backlash, believing this is a long-overdue step they fully deserve. Many feel the decision proves that the council is finally siding with workers rather than businesses. Supporters argue that putting more money in workers’ pockets will boost the local economy, as people with higher incomes are more likely to spend.
Surprisingly, many internet users aren’t very optimistic about the increase in the minimum wage in L.A. One Redditor commented, “Over time, I’ve changed my views on the minimum wage. The disemployment effects are hard to detect and much smaller than expected, and the positive impacts likely outweigh the negatives. But this is just silly. This is TERRIBLE policy.”
Another user remarked that many housekeeping staff are elderly women, many of whom are approaching retirement. They pointed out that housekeeping is really hard work, including scrubbing toilets, changing bed sheets, vacuuming floors, emptying trash, and picking up litter left behind.
While it makes sense that these workers feel they truly deserve a raise for their efforts, from the employer’s perspective, it seems they might try to cut costs by shifting employees to part-time hours instead of full-time positions. This way, employers can avoid paying for vacations, sick leave, personal days off, and other benefits.
Others remarked that if the minimum wage increase happens, hotel and airport workers shouldn’t have to rely on tips anymore. One Redditor was especially harsh, saying, “Damn, hotel workers with no specialized skills are going to be making as much as high school teachers? They’ll be making as much as nurses by 2040.”
