S A N TA M O N I C A
REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY
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August 11 - August 17, 2023 Volume CCVI Issue 207
INSIDE Lionsgate Buying TV and Movie Business PAGE 8
Striking Hotel Workers Rally and File Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against Hotel Bargaining Group striking workers organized a peaceful march Knife Modern Steak restaurant, reportedly City Council in Santa Monica, which ended at the Fairmont approached striking workers and damaged a drum held by one of them. Tesar allegedly Hotel and Bungalows. Member Jesse Zwick Miramar However, the event turned violent when directed derogatory and offensive language hotel security attacked and tackled workers toward the workers, further fueling tensions. Asks Local Hotel As part of the ongoing strike, thousands of and their supporters seeking to establish a picket line. Videos of these confrontations workers from 46 hotels across Los Angeles For Answers About have gone viral, prompting public outrage. and Orange Counties continue protesting. Santa Monica City Council member Jesse During a July 18 bargaining session, the hotel Zwick retweeted the video, saying, “Workers industry’s proposal raised concerns as it did Viral Video
By Dolores Quintana Unite Here Local 11 announced the filing of an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the Coordinated Bargaining Group, a body that represents several of Los Angeles’ unionized hotel employers, including Hyatt, Hilton, IHG, and Marriott, on August 7, 2023, after a rally in Downtown Los Angeles. The action aims to condemn a disturbing pattern of violence witnessed on picket lines during the ongoing strike. Over the weekend,
have a first amendment right to protest. I want answers, @FairmontMiramar.” A similar episode of violence unfolded at the Maya Hotel in Long Beach, where hotel security, including a manager, attempted to relocate striking workers using a chain-link fence forcibly. During the altercation, a guest reportedly punched a worker in the head and shoved others. The Laguna Cliffs Marriott Dana Point was also the site of disturbing incidents. In another alarming incident, John Tesar, a chef associated with the Laguna Cliffs’
not include any wage increase. Moreover, the hotels abruptly ended the session after the bargaining committee demanded that temporary replacement workers, many of whom were Black, be permanently hired. The ongoing labor unrest has generated significant attention, leading to event cancellations by entities such as the Democratic Governors Association, the Japanese American Citizens League, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the reality T.V. series “Vanderpump Rules.” The so-called “Taylor Swift Lift” has also driven up room rates, significantly benefiting
hotels. Amidst this backdrop, more than 50 elected officials, including Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, and L.A. City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez has lent their voice to the workers’ call for Taylor Swift to postpone her shows until hotel workers are paid a fair wage.
Homeless Man Sentenced in Reed Park Stabbing Man Was Taken Into Custody After a Foot Pursuit On July 3, defendant Gunnar Zausniewski, 37, was convicted of Attempted Murder, Mayhem, and Assault with a Deadly Weapon for a crime committed in August of 2020. On July 28, Zausniewski was sentenced to 12 years in state prison. On August 6, 2020, at about 9:00 a.m., officers responded to a 911 call of a homeless subject brandishing a large knife in Reed Park. The officers arrived at the park just in time to see the subject stab someone who had been sleeping on the ground before running away. After a short foot pursuit, the subject (Zausniewski) was taken into custody. The victim of the attack, a 29-year-old male experiencing homelessness, was grievously
injured by a stab wound to his abdomen. The victim was transported to a local hospital and survived his injuries. “The apprehension and conviction of this individual was the result of the excellent work of patrol officers who not only caught the suspect but also rendered aid to the victim.”
SMPD said in a release. “The SMPD is also proud of all its detectives in the Criminal Investigation Division who made certain a dangerous criminal has been taken off the streets.”
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