‘Olympic Wage’ clears hurdle in Los Angeles

A coalition of tourism industry businesses lost its bid to repeal Los Angeles’ minimum wage hike. The city’s “Olympic Wage,” which was approved by the City Council in May, will gradually raise the minimum wage for tourism workers to $30 by 2028 ahead of the Olympic Games. With financial support from Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the L.A. Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress filed a petition temporarily halting the ordinance’s enforcement. The L.A. County Registrar announced this week that the petition fell short of the total number of signatures needed for the referendum to be put to a vote, partly because many who signed later withdrew their names. Yearly wage increases will now start to go into effect.