Writers Guild Members Join Union Boycott of Beverly Hills Hotels
Around 40 Hollywood writers have joined a hotel union boycott of two Los Angeles hotels, the Cameo Beverly Hills by Hilton and the Beverly Hills Marriott.
The Good Place creator Mike Schur, Emily in Paris writer and co-executive producer Grant Sloss, The Simpsons writer and executive producer Ian Maxtone-Graham and Abbott Elementary supervising producer and writer Brittani Nichols are among the scribes that joined the campaign, spearheaded by the major Los Angeles-area hospitality union Unite Here Local 11. One Day at a Time co-showrunner Mike Royce, Halt and Catch Fire writer and executive producer Angelina Burnett and Two Sentence Horror Stories writer Liz Alper also joined the boycott on Labor Day weekend.
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Unite Here Local 11 initiated the campaign against the two Remington Hospitality-operated properties last month after the Cameo’s existing union contract expired and the union and employer were unable to come to an agreement. (The Cameo was formerly the Mr. C Beverly Hills.) In early August the union also filed a wage theft complaint with the California Labor Commission, alleging that housekeepers were performing unpaid work prior to their shifts starting and that workers were not able to take mandated rest breaks due to the volume of work.
Unite Here Local 11, meanwhile, is attempting to unionize the Beverly Hills Marriott and claims that management has “rejected a request that the hotel agree to a fair process whereby workers can choose whether to unionize in an environment of mutual respect and without management interference.” The union is attempting to persuade management to commit to remaining neutral during the union drive and voluntarily recognize the group if a majority of workers sign union cards.
“We hope the ownership and management of these ritzy Beverly Hills-adjacent hotels will change course and demonstrate the respect that their hardworking staff deserve,” a union petition explaining the boycott reads.
In a statement, Remington Hospitality said, “We recognize our team members as our greatest asset and take immense pride in fostering positive, open, and trusting relationships with them” and said it was “currently engaged in contract negotiations with UNITE HERE Local 11” at the Cameo Beverly Hills by Hilton. Added the company, “With over five decades of experience in the hotel industry, Remington Hospitality is dedicated to treating every associate with dignity and respect, while upholding principles of integrity, transparent communication and unwavering accountability.”
This isn’t the first time that members of the Writers Guild of America and Unite Here Local 11 have supported one another during labor disputes. In 2023 the WGA West backed a boycott of the hotel that served as the headquarters of the American Film Market during the event, while earlier that year Unite Here Local 11 supported the WGA strike and vowed that its members would not cross writers’ picket lines at hotels served as filming locations.
Parent union Unite Here, an especially active labor group with more than 32,000 members nationwide, launched its own rolling strike over the course of Labor Day weekend at hotels across the country. More than 10,000 members struck at affected sites including Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Hyatt Regency Greenwich, The Royal Hawaiian and Westin Seattle.
Sept. 5, 9:10 a.m. Updated with Remington Hospitality statement.
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