Union Hands Out Food To Hospitality Workers Sidelined By Coronavirus Closures
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Hospitality workers whose jobs have been sidelined by the coronavirus outbreak got a helping hand Tuesday through bags of food handed out by their union.
Unite Here Local 11 filled bags with staples like rice, whole chickens and canned goods to help out its members who have been hit hard financially by the global pandemic.
"We don't know how long this is gonna last, you know, but we're gonna make sure that our members are well taken care of," Unite Here Local 11's Maria Hernandez said.
The union's membership is made up of behind-the-scenes workers of Los Angeles' sporting events, hotels, airports and colleges. Laura Ortiz, a suite attendant and bartender at Staples Center, said she was told she would be out of a job indefinitely.
"It's so sad, because my family, they text me, 'mom, what's gonna happen? We know that you depend on your job, what's going to happen after this?'" she said.
Nearly 800 of the union's members have gone through the food lines Tuesday.