Local 11’s Membership Crashed in 2024

Local 11’s Membership Crashed in 2024

In 2024, Local 11’s membership shrank by almost 10,000 members. What gives? 

Hotel employment in Los Angeles declined in 2024 (despite LA’s population growing), and employment in LA’s hospitality industry overall fell by about over 11,000 jobs. Maybe members decided union membership wasn’t worth it after Local 11’s massive hotel strike, which saw thousands of members off the job for months. Or maybe the decline was a response to the Local 11-backed ordinance that would dramatically raise the minimum wage for hotel workers over the next several years – something that city officials have warned could cost hotel jobs. 

Whatever the cause, a full quarter of Local 11’s members appear to have given the union a vote of no confidence last year. 

While Local 11 is hemorrhaging members, it’s also hemorrhaging revenue. The drop in membership coincided with a $5 million decrease in revenue for the union, which actually ran a slight deficit in 2024. Of course, this didn’t stop all three of Local 11’s co-presidents getting raises last year. 

So how is Local 11 using the money it does bring in? 

The union has continued to funnel dues dollars to the family of its leadership. Gregory Griffith, the husband of Local 11 Co-President Susan Minato, was paid over $90,000 for “IT Services.” Overall, Griffith has pulled in over $800,000 in the past decade. Local 11’s other co-president hasn’t missed his chance to bankroll family members either. The daughter of Local 11 Co-President Kurt Petersen remains on the union’s payroll, with a salary of $73,000. 

Local 11 also shoveled some $157,000 into the coffers of radical left-wing organization Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE). Multiple staffers at CLUE are strongly anti-Israel, including one who boosted claims that Israel was comparable to Nazi Germany. Outside of pushing radical ideas on Local 11’s bankroll, CLUE made headlines a few years ago when its executive director stepped down amid allegations of sexual harassment and wage theft. 

Membership fleeing and revenue down while union bosses line family members’ pockets and fund controversial groups? It sure sounds like hotel workers are last on Local 11’s list of priorities.