Los Angeles Moves Toward $30 Minimum Wage for Hotels and Airports Despite Opposition

• The City Council approved a plan to raise the minimum wage in Los Angeles for hotels and airports to $30 per hour before 2028.
• The increase would impact more than 23,000 workers and place the city among the highest-paying in the U.S.
• The measure is on hold while a referendum that could block the increase is validated.

In May, the Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance that would raise the minimum wage for employees in hotels with more than 60 rooms and at airports to $30 before the 2028 Olympic Games.

The increase will be gradual. The next adjustment is scheduled for July 1, 2026, when the rate will rise to $25 per hour.

Minimum Wage in Los Angeles Headed Toward a Historic Record

According to the ordinance, the wage and health benefit increases will benefit more than 23,000 hotel workers.

The goal: to increase their purchasing power and boost the local economy.

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez celebrated the approval, calling it a victory for workers over corporations.

Resistance from the Hospitality Industry

Hotel owners and tourism business leaders warn that the increase comes at a fragile moment for the economy.

They argue that recovery after the pandemic is incomplete and that factors like the decline in Canadian tourism are affecting the sector.

Some foresee reducing operations, limiting investments, and even closing hotel restaurants to offset the increase.

What Is the Impact on Los Angeles Tourism Workers?

For union leaders like Gloria Hernández, the change is more than just a number. It means rent paid on time, food on the table, and less monthly financial stress.

In a city with a high cost of living, this minimum wage in Los Angeles seeks to bring stability to thousands of families living paycheck to paycheck.

Key Statements

“The value of tourism workers is crucial to making the 2028 Olympic Games a reality,” said Gloria Hernández to Straight Arrow News.

“Today this building works for the people, not for corporations,” stated Hugo Soto-Martínez.

Next Steps and Outlook for the Minimum Wage in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Alliance for Tourism, Employment, and Progress submitted 140,000 signatures to put the ordinance to a vote in 2026.

While the county verifies the petition, the measure is on hold.

If voters approve it, the increase will remain in effect beyond the Olympic Games.