INSIDE
smmirror.com
January 12 - January 18, 2024 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
High-Speed Havoc Strikes Malibu: Hit-andRun Crash at PCH Again Raises Safety Concerns Near Big Rock Drive See Page 7
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows Breaks the Ice: Agrees to Tentative Deal with UNITE HERE Local 11 After Six-Months 25th Southern California Hotel Seals Tentative Agreement By Dolores Quintana Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, after six months marked by strikes and picket lines, has become the latest Southern California hotel to sign a tentative agreement with UNITE HERE Local 11. This development brings the total number of hotels in Southern California that have entered into tentative agreements with the union to 25. Liliana Hernandez, a Fairmont Miramar worker, and a housekeeper at the hotel for eleven years, expressed excitement and pride regarding the agreement, stating, “The last six months were challenging for us, but I am so grateful that the whole union stood behind me and my coworkers, and I’m proud of the leadership and solidarity. We hope other Santa Monica hotels follow the example of the Fairmont. Sí se puede.” Upon ratification of the contract, Fairmont Miramar workers will benefit from the standards achieved in prior tentative agreements, including unprecedented wage
increases aligned with the rising cost of housing, affordable and comprehensive family healthcare, humane workloads with safe staffing levels, improved pension increases to support dignified retirement, and language enhancements such as Equal Justice provisions that facilitate access to union jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals and unprecedented protections for immigrant workers.
UNITE HERE Local 11 co-president Kurt Petersen commended Fairmont Miramar for signing this historic agreement, emphasizing, “This victory once again demonstrates our members’ indomitable spirit and sends an unambiguous message to the remaining hotels that we will not stop fighting until we have won a living wage at all hotels.” However, hotels operated by Aimbridge
Hospitality, including the Hilton Pasadena, Blackstone-owned Aloft and Fairfield El Segundo, and Ensemble-operated Hotel Maya and Hyatt Place Pasadena, have yet to meet the new hotel contract standard. Notably, workers at the Hilton Pasadena and Hyatt Place Pasadena staged a walkout on the eve of the Rose Parade.
Property Owner Arrested in Suspected Homicide of Tenant
The Suspect Attempted to Make the Resident Vacate the Property By Zach Armstrong
A Santa Monica resident and landlord was arrested after a suspected New Year’s Day killing of one of his tenants. On Jan. 1, deputies from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office and San Bernardino County Fire arrived at the 55800 block of Montara Road in response
to a medical aid request. Once there, they found 54-year-old William Durst and an unresponsive Jeffrey Cull, a 71-year-old man who lived at the property, who was later pronounced dead. Durst, who owned the property, was arrested and booked for murder at the Morongo Basin jail. A homicide investigation found Durst arrived in an attempt to force Cull to vacate the property. An argument ensued after Cull refused to leave, resulting in Durst spraying the resident with bear spray and placing him in a chokehold. Cull succumbed and lost consciousness. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Shawn Thurman, Specialized Investigations
Division at (909) 890-4904. Callers can remain anonymous and contact We-Tip at 800-78CRIME or www.wetip.com.
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