United Chambers Condemns Garcetti Letter

The United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley has sent letters to elected city officials condemning City Council President Eric Garcetti’s support of a boycott of the Hilton Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport. Garcetti on Feb. 27 sent a letter to 1,500 meeting planners and hotel clients across the country urging them to honor a union boycott of the Hilton. He advised calling the city’s convention and visitors’ bureau for alternative locations away from the labor dispute. The boycott had been launched in August by Unite-HERE Local 11, the same labor group that simultaneously was urging city council members to approve a living wage ordinance at the hotel and 11 others near LAX. The city council eventually approved that measure, igniting fear among many business groups, including the United Chambers, that a similar living wage ordinance would spread to other areas of the city. The chamber called Garcetti’s letter irresponsible and “shows a lack of objectivity.” “For many organizers this is all the excuse they need to skip Los Angeles as a destination thereby threatening our thriving tourism industry,” said the chamber letter, dated March 27 and sent to all 15 Los Angeles City Council members and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “We believe that partisan and imprudent comments like those made by Mr. Garcetti have hurt the city’s image as a place to do business.” The chamber asked the council to reject comments from Garcetti and pledge “to quickly solve the growing crisis of confidence created by the council’s direct involvement in the LAX Hotel conflict.”