With Los Angeles gearing up for a surge in visitors during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics, there has been considerable discussion about ensuring that the city’s hourly workers in hotels, airports, and other hospitality jobs are paid fairly. Unions like Unite Here Local 11 have been leading the charge, advocating for a citywide minimum wage increase for these essential workers. Their efforts have finally paid well.

The LAist recently reported, “ the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance earlier this year creating a $30 minimum hourly wage for hotel and airport workers by 2028″. Simply put, the city council voted in favor of boosting the hourly wage for the workers employed in hotels with 60 rooms or more. The hourly pay, which was $20.32, will now increase every year until it reaches $30 in 2028.

Mayor Karen Bass signed the Citywide Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance, sometimes called the Olympic Wage, into law on May 27. “Hotel workers often live paycheck to paycheck and are frequently forced to work two or three jobs to provide food and shelter for their families,” reads the ordinance. “In many instances, they cannot take time to spend with their children or care for themselves or their family when sick.”

The ordinance also stated that many workers depend on public services for support, so the city has a vested interest in creating a work environment that safeguards these government resources. So working for the Olympics in 2028 can be very fruitful for the American working class.

Although, there is a challenge — the hotel owners are not happy. They are fighting to stop the new wage rules, and a few have even warned they might back out of plans to set aside rooms for Olympic visitors. Something similar to this ordinance bill has happened before the Paris Olympics as well.

Working Class struck before the Paris Olympics

In the lead-up to the Paris Olympics, workers in various sectors including hospitality and entertainment raised concerns over compensation and working conditions. Strikes were planned by private hire drivers and airport staff, with demands for better pay and benefits. According to SFA-CGT, the largest union representing workers in the entertainment industry, around 300 entertainment workers were hired under “shameful” conditions and received only €60 for broadcasting rights of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic compared to the €1,610 given to ballet dancers.

Later, they announced that the negotiations had led to a partial victory, including an increase in compensation, and they called off the protest. To avert potential strikes, the French government offered bonuses ranging from €500 to €1,500 to public sector workers involved in the Olympics.

Staff at the Hôtel du Collectionneur, where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegation was staying, went on strike demanding better pay and benefits. They had not received a raise in seven years and were seeking the reinstatement of the 13th-month bonus, a common practice in France’s high-end hotel sector. The strike disrupted breakfast services and drew attention to the issue of fair compensation for workers in Olympic-related venues. This issue might not arise in LA 2028. What are your thoughts?