Workers stage a 30-hour protest at the Holiday Inn at LAX. (KTLA-TV / November 19, 2012) |
WESTCHESTER (KTLA) -- Workers at the Holiday Inn at LAX are staging a 30-hour protest over what they claim are unsafe working conditions.
The protest began just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday. The workers hope the timing -- right before the Thanksgiving travel rush -- will get them more attention.
They say that one employee became sick after cleaning 15 rooms that had been treated for bedbugs.
He apparently cleaned the carpets and then ended up with a severe headache, as well as a nose bleed, eye and skin irritation and swelling in his throat.
The hotel employees have asked for Cal/OSHA to conduct an investigation immediately.
"He reported these symptoms to the hotel later, but still he was made to clean two days in a row," said Leigh Shelton, of Unite Here, which is supporting the workers.
"It's widely understood that these chemicals can be very dangeorus and cause severe illnesses," Shelton said.
"The hotel is required to inform the employees about the chemicals and how they can cause problems," she added.
The Holiday Inn at LAX is not a union hotel, but according to Shelton, the workers have called for a fair process to organize a union.
She said that, just last month, the employees filed a class-action lawsuit demanding millions in unpaid wages.
"I think these employees feel that they're treated very poorly, that the hotel does not respect their rights," Shelton said.
The hotel did not immediately issue any statement about the strike.
The protest began just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday. The workers hope the timing -- right before the Thanksgiving travel rush -- will get them more attention.
They say that one employee became sick after cleaning 15 rooms that had been treated for bedbugs.
He apparently cleaned the carpets and then ended up with a severe headache, as well as a nose bleed, eye and skin irritation and swelling in his throat.
The hotel employees have asked for Cal/OSHA to conduct an investigation immediately.
"He reported these symptoms to the hotel later, but still he was made to clean two days in a row," said Leigh Shelton, of Unite Here, which is supporting the workers.
"It's widely understood that these chemicals can be very dangeorus and cause severe illnesses," Shelton said.
"The hotel is required to inform the employees about the chemicals and how they can cause problems," she added.
The Holiday Inn at LAX is not a union hotel, but according to Shelton, the workers have called for a fair process to organize a union.
She said that, just last month, the employees filed a class-action lawsuit demanding millions in unpaid wages.
"I think these employees feel that they're treated very poorly, that the hotel does not respect their rights," Shelton said.
The hotel did not immediately issue any statement about the strike.
