Dennis RomeroThe L.A. hipster is in a bad place right now. Does she join Occupy L.A. and get dirty on the lawn of City Hall or continue to base her activism on the fact that she only wears American Apparel underwear?
It's only going to get tougher, because now the L.A. hipster will have to decide whether to cross the picket line at the boulevard hot-spot known as the W Hotel Hollywood, home of the party douche who's somewhere between 1 percent and 80 proof.
Workers under UNITE HERE Local 11 say they can't take their proper breaks, and now they're …
… embarking on a 24-hour strike that begins today (just in time for all the Halloween parties at the W).
Dub spot.
And just to drive the point home to the night-life lovers who normally hang out at Drai's at the W, the workers will be joined by AFTRA-represented “music video dancers” (of the sexy variety, we assume), who are in their own fight with the major labels (Sony, UMG, Warner, EMI, Disney) over getting to take proper breaks on-set.
This really shouldn't be a labor-action issue: It's against California law to deny breaks, including a 30 minute lunch for 8 hours of work.
Action at the W.; Credit: @LAlabor
Mildred Velasquez, a W housekeeper:
We are on strike today to show the W Hollywood that we deserve the right to take breaks. We are excited to be joined by music video dancers who also need breaks on the job. Whether it's in a hotel or at a video production, management must respect the limits of our bodies.
It's ironic, because the W's clientele is on permanent break from reality, as Velasquez points out:
Every weekend, we find rooms trashed from guests' partying–feather pillows split open and strew around, balloons, glitter and decorations on the wall, cake thrown on the ceiling, cigarette butts and ashes on the floor, lipstick letters on the mirrors, rose petals everywhere, candle wax hardened on furniture–we have to clean it all up and fast.
Ah, the hangover of party life.
The magic, including a noontime “give us a break” dance performance, happens today outside 6250 Hollywood Blvd.
[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]
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