Taylor Swift’s LA Shows May Be Postponed as Politicians Urge Support for Striking Hotel Workers

Hotel employees are striking and demanding greater wages, perks, pension payments, and fewer hours.

Many public leaders, including the lieutenant governor of California, called for Taylor Swift to postpone her scheduled shows in the Los Angeles area so they could demonstrate their support for striking hotel employees, as reported by AP News.

Canceled LA Shows?

Opening Night of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour
Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023 in Swift City, ERAzona (Glendale, Arizona). The city of Glendale, Arizona was ceremonially renamed to Swift City for March 17-18 in honor of The Eras Tour. Kevin Winter / Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

In an open letter released on Tuesday, August 1, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and dozens of state and municipal lawmakers informed Swift that her tour is profitable for local hotels, with some "doubling and tripling what they charge" because the icon is coming.

Meanwhile, many housekeepers and other hotel workers are unable to afford to live near their places of employment, so some of them sleep in their vehicles and risk eviction, the letter said.

"Hotel workers are fighting for their lives. They are fighting for a living wage. They have gone on strike. Now, they are asking for your support ... Stand with hotel workers and postpone your concerts," the note read. Starting Thursday, August 3, Swift will be performing at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles for a total of six sold-out gigs.

About 30,000 hotel employees are represented by Unite Here Local 11. The organization is now bargaining for higher pay, better benefits, more pension contributions, and lighter workloads. More than 60 hotels, including some belonging to large brands like Marriott and Hilton, saw their contracts expire in the last month.

Kounalakis, a Democrat who has announced her candidacy for governor in 2026, is the state's highest official to make the appeal. Politico reported that she was seen at a show during Swift's Eras tour in Santa Clara, California.

State senators Dave Min and Maria Elena Durazo, along with the mayors of various communities, Assembly Majority Leader Issac Bryan, and many other state lawmakers, all signed the letter.

Southern California Hotel Workers Strike For Higher Wages
Hotel workers with Unite Here Local 11 picket outside the InterContinental hotel on the first day of a strike by union members at many major hotels in Southern California on July 2, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama / Getty Images

Truck Drivers Get $100,000 Bonuses

In recent news about Swift, she has once again made headlines for her selfless acts of kindness. She reportedly gave the truck drivers on her Eras Tour a total of $100,000 incentive for their efforts.

As a show of appreciation to those who helped make her concert tour a success, the top-charting singer allegedly doled out a whopping $55 million in bonuses. The icon gave each truck driver a $100,000 incentive before their gig in Santa Clara, California. For her current tour throughout the US, Swift has employed a team of over 50 drivers to assist her in moving her equipment from city to city.

Tags
Taylor Swift, Strike
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