A federal judge has thrown out the Los Angeles Airport Hilton’s suit against the city of Los Angeles over the city extending its living wage law to 12 hotels near Los Angeles International Airport.
U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson announced during a hearing late Wednesday that he was dismissing the lawsuit filed by Fortuna Enterprises LP, parent company of the Airport Hilton. A formal written opinion had yet to be filed as of late Thursday morning.
In July, Wilson denied Fortuna’s request for an injunction on the living wage law, which went into effect on July 5. The law requires the 12 hotels near the airport to pay their workers at least $10 an hour with medical benefits or $11.25 an hour without. Most of the other hotels dropped their opposition to the law. All hotels, including the Hilton, are paying their workers the city’s living wage.
“We’re very gratified by the judge’s decision,” said James Elmendorf, policy director for the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, a proponent of the living wage law. “We felt that the Hilton hotel continued to fight this proposal well beyond the time when they knew what the outcome would be. We hope that the Hilton will stop fighting the law and will work to raise standards for its employees.”
A spokesman for the Hilton airport hotel said a decision would be made on whether to appeal Wilson’s ruling after reviewing his written opinion.
