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Contracts, Crises, & the Cost of Survival: LA’s Hospitality Fight with Kurt Petersen, Co-President Unite Here Episode 143
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What if the 2028 Olympics didn’t just bring medals, but a housing revolution? In this episode of Future of Work, Dr. Salvatrice Cummo sits down with Kurt Peterson, Co-President of Unite Here Local 11, to explore the mounting pressures facing hospitality workers in Los Angeles, and the explosive opportunity that the 2028 Olympics might represent. Peterson doesn’t mince words. From natural disasters like wildfires to economic disruptions like COVID-19, hospitality workers have repeatedly borne the brunt of crisis after crisis. And while tourism is rebounding, the industry’s recovery has largely left workers behind. Peterson argues that the real crisis now isn’t just wages, it’s housing. As the world turns its eyes toward LA in 2028, Peterson makes one thing clear: if the Olympics can afford luxury, it can and must afford dignity, equity, and a place for workers to call home.
You’ll learn:
What mega-events like the Olympics could mean for Labor Rights.
How employers use crises to cut labor and what unions are doing about it.
How housing became the central fight for LA workers.
Why the decommissioned Santa Monica Airport could be LA’s housing lifeline.
Learn why Unite Here Local 11 is prepared to stage an unprecedented strike during the 2028 Olympics.
About the Guest:
Kurt Petersen is Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11, representing over 35,000 hotel and food service workers across Southern California and Arizona. A Notre Dame alum with studies in theology and philosophy, Kurt nearly joined the Jesuits before earning his law degree from Yale and organizing with the United Farm Workers, where he helped secure Washington State’s first farm worker union contract. Since 1995, he has led efforts that brought over 25,000 workers into UNITE HERE and helped transform Local 11 into a major political and labor force. He’s currently leading the largest hotel strike in U.S. history, with over 10,000 workers striking 175 times at 54 hotels. The resulting contracts include historic wage increases and are set to expire just before the 2028 LA Olympics. Kurt was recently named to the Los Angeles Times 2024 LA Influential list alongside Co-Presidents Ada Briceño and Susan Minato.
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Find the transcript of this episode here
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