Protest at Best Western Golden Sails Hotel

Last November 64% of Long Beach city residents had voted in favor of Measure N that requires Long Beach hotels with more than 100 rooms to pay their employees at least $13 an hour even though the minimum wage in California is $8.

Right before the new minimum wage for Long Beach hotels goes into effect, Best Western Golden Sails Hotel that has 170 rooms told their 75 employees that they all will be laid off by Saturday , December 15, 2012. The employees were also told that the hotel will be downsizing and it will be reopened under a new management. Some of the employees will be rehired but as this Saturday all employees are considered terminated and are eligible for $1000 severance package.

Rosa Rivera , a 20 - year employee at the Best Western cries outside of the hotel. Mrs. Rivera said that she does not know why she was laid off and how she will pay her rent and bills without a job. Carmen Pena, a 9 - year employee said that because she was fired her children will not have Christmas presents this year. "I don't know why I was fired, Pena added crying.

In response to this injustice, employees of Best Western hotel, Unite Here, Local 11 group and about a 100 Long Beach residents/ activists, gathered together to protest Hotel's immoral practices. California State Senator Ricardo Lara and four Long Beach City Council members, Patric O'Donnell, Steve Neal, Al Austin and Suja Lowenthal joined the protesters this morning. The city officials addressed the crowd at the press conference pointing out Hotel's immoral , anti - American and anti - Democratic practices.