Days before the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art officially opens, the Fair Games Coalition organized a protest outside the new museum. Members were dressed in Jedi robes and Jar Jar Binks masks, carrying lightsabers, and making their voices heard with horns and drums. They chanted, “Sí se puede,” directly across from Exposition Park’s newest museum.
The protest targeted the private opening party of the museum. The coalition opposes Mellody Hobson’s recent resignation from the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, LA28. Jessica Durrum, the director of the Fair Games Coalition for the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, emphasized the importance of ensuring lasting benefits for the community as the Olympics approach.
The coalition includes over 80 organizations, focusing on better labor agreements during significant sports events. They demand union and living wage jobs, housing funding for working families, a short-term rental moratorium, and immigrant worker protections. Unions like United Teachers Los Angeles and National Union of Healthcare Workers are part of this coalition.
“If the Olympics are coming to town, we want to make sure there are lasting benefits for our communities,” said Durrum.
Gladys Avyla, affiliated with Unite Here Local 11, joined the protest after facing escalating living costs. Working as a cleaner at the W Hotel in Hollywood, she moved to Victorville due to the high cost of rent in LA. She expressed concerns in Spanish about the rising cost of living and the need for wage increases due to the Olympics.
“Rent is very high, and everything is expensive. It’s hard living here. We need help for all workers. We’re human beings, but, honestly, we aren’t treated like human beings,” Avyla said.
Mellody Hobson, alongside her husband, George Lucas, co-founded the museum. She recently resigned from LA28, reportedly due to commitments with the Lucas Museum. However, the Fair Games Coalition believes her resignation followed their requests to discuss worker conditions.
The coalition’s perspective is shared by Rev. Gary Bernard Williams from St. Mark United Methodist Church. He expressed skepticism about much of the financial benefits reaching the workers.
“That’s how you hide your head in the sand. But we’re not giving up. She still has clout and still has a lot of power in the city of Los Angeles with the Olympic Committee,” Rev. Williams stated.
LA28 and the Lucas Museum have not yet responded to the request for comments. During the World Cup hosted in LA, Unite Here Local 11 and food-service operator Legends Global reached a tentative agreement before the first match. Pastor Bridie Roberts from Unite Here Local 11 highlighted the support from Fair Games Coalition during negotiations.
“Our members face serious, critical decisions every single day about how to make ends meet and they work with some of the biggest tourism companies in the world,” Roberts shared.