
A new play at Loyola Marymount University, “Changing Lives; Changing L.A. – Hotel Workers Rising,” highlights the stories of Los Angeles area hospitality workers fighting for a living wage and voice on the job.
The spoken word performance on Friday, Oct. 7, dramatizes six oral histories of activists with UNITE HERE Local 11, the union representing hotel and food service workers across Southern California. Sponsored by the CSJ Center for Reconciliation and Justice at LMU, the play is directed by Judith Royer, C.S.J., Ph.D., a professor of theatre arts, and adapted by two Los Angeles playwrights from interviews with the workers.
“This is an opportunity for these courageous workers to have their voices heard,” said Doris Baizley, one of the playwrights and an adjunct professor of theatre arts at LMU. “And the message is that this is not unique to immigrant workers. If you have a yearning for justice, you can make a change.”
A panel discussion following the performance will feature Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin, whose 11th District includes Westchester and the Century Boulevard-LAX hotel corridor; LMU psychology Professor Cheryl Grills; LMU alum Alberto Ramirez, co-founder of Students for Labor and Economic Justice; and Shakeel Sayed, executive director of the Orange County community labor alliance OCCORD.
The event is free and open to the public. A reception is set for 4:30 p.m. in the Dunning Courtyard outside the Burns Fine Arts Complex, followed by the 5:30 p.m. performance in Murphy Recital Hall.
For more, visit http://bit.ly/2dezNIT.