Tourism industry workers from several unions rallied on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall Tuesday to kick off a campaign against a referendum petition that would roll back a recently approved wage increase for hotel and airport employees.

The proposed ballot measure, backed by a coalition of airlines, hotels and concession companies known as the Los Angeles Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress — seeks to overturn the Olympic Wage Ordinance, which would gradually increase the minimum wage for workers to $30 an hour by 2028.

To qualify for the June 2026 ballot, proponents must gather about 93,000 signatures from registered voters in the city by June 30. Supporters of the referendum said the wage hike is too aggressive and could further strain a tourism industry still in recovery. Opponents, including those at Tuesday’s rally, argued the effort threatens hard-fought progress and accused the business-backed campaign of prioritizing profits over the workers’ needs.

“What brought me here is the anger, the anger of companies trying to appeal the law, that it was already passed,” said Lisandro Preza, a cashier who has worked at the Los Angeles International Airport for five years.

He said the wage increase would have a direct impact on his ability to meet basic needs.

“These (the wage increase) for me, would mean that I would be able to afford medication. I would be able to afford to pay rent,” said Preza, who currently earns $19.94 an hour.” And these wage increases would actually help me, I don’t want to say live rich or anything, but at least a little bit comfortable.”

Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, a powerful union that campaigned for the Olympic Wage Ordinance, said his first reaction to news of the referendum petition was “utter disgust”.

“I couldn’t believe that they would spend their money to take money away from workers,” he said. “We want to tell voters, ‘don’t sign this petition’, because it will take money from the pockets of workers who are the backbone of our tourism industry.”

He said union members and their allies plan to spend the next 27 days canvassing grocery stores and other public spaces to warn voters about what he called a “deceptive petition.”

By contrast, business groups backing the referendum argue that the wage ordinance could do serious harm to the city’s tourism industry.

“Thousands of L.A. residents have warned the City Council that this ordinance will shutter businesses and trigger lasting economic harm across the city — and yet those voices have been ignored,” Phil Singer, a spokesperson for the group behind the referendum efforts, said in a statement.

He added: “Small business owners trying to stay afloat and keep their employees working deserve better. That’s why we’re standing up for them, for the jobs that sustain our communities, and for the millions of guests our tourism industry proudly welcomes each year.”

Supporters of the referendum have warned that the wage ordinance could lead to job losses and strain a tourism industry that has yet to fully recover from the pandemic. They’ve also raised concerns about the city’s ability to attract future major events, including the 2028 Olympics.

The rally was led by UNITE HERE Local 11, and joined by members of SEIU-USWW, LAANE, and other labor groups, along with City Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martinez, Curren Price and Eunisses Hernandez.

Soto-Martinez, a former labor organizer with UNITE HERE Local 11, criticized the referendum effort and voiced confidence in the workers leading the campaign to defend the wage ordinance.

“I have a lot of confidence in this group of workers, this group of people, they have fought hard for the last two years to pass this legislation, they know how to win,” he said. “They’re being motivated by the desire to improve their families’ lives. And I think that motivation is much more powerful than the greed that the corporations are being motivated by.”

The Olympic Wage Ordinance, signed by Mayor Karen Bass after it passed its second and final vote in the City Council on May 23, would raise wages to $22.50 an hour starting in July, followed by annual increases of $2.50 over the next three years. It also includes a health care credit of $7.65 an hour—down from the originally proposed $8.35– which union leaders say will help close gaps in coverage for low-wage workers.