Hotel housekeepers have asked Taylor Swift to postpone her Eras tour stops in Los Angeles in solidarity with their fight for a living wage.
In an open letter published in the Los Angeles Times Thursday, dozens of workers appealed to the superstar singer-songwriter’s sensibilities as a “strong and fearless woman” to consider their case.
“Dear Taylor, as a strong and fearless woman, you inspire us,” the letter began. “We make beds, clean bathrooms and take care of every guest need. Your shows make our hotels a lot of money.”
The letter, styled at the top in a similar design and colors to Swift’s Eras tour promotional poster, then outlined how hotels have doubled and tripled their rates for when Swift will be in town on the final domestic stop of her tour.
“They also add junk fees on rooms, just like Ticketmaster does. But we see none of it,” the letter continued. “When we returned to work after the pandemic, the hotels upped our workload and cut our paychecks by not letting us clean rooms on a daily basis.”
The housekeepers also describe their living situations as the cost of living across L.A. has grown beyond their financial means. Many are at risk of losing their homes, which are already far from their places of work, forcing some to sleep in their cars between shifts.
“Today, we are fighting for our lives. Unless we can earn a living wage, we will strike next week,” the letter concluded. “Speak Now! Stand with us and postpone your concerts.”
The letter ended with 50 signatures from various employees of various Sheraton, Fairfield Inn, Hilton, JW Marriott, Hampton Inn, Hyatt and Westin hotels as well as The Millennium Biltmore, Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills and more.
Per a release from Unite Local 11, which ran the open letter as a paid ad, “The ongoing hotel worker labor unrest in Los Angeles has caused groups such as the Democratic Governors Association, the Japanese American Citizens League, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and ‘Vanderpump Rules’ to cancel their events.”
The letter arrived a week before Swift is set to play the six shows in Los Angeles, beginning Thursday and running through Aug. 9.
