Fans planning to visit Los Angeles for the upcoming Anime Expo might want to double-check their hotel reservation.
According to a report from Anime News Network, UNITE HERE Local 11, the largest hospitality union in Southern California, has authorized a strike for hotel workers that is set to overlap with Anime Expo. The union is seeking "an immediate $5 an hour wage increase to keep pace with the soaring cost of housing," as well as long overdue benefits like health care and pensions.
If the major hotel employers refuse to meet their terms, as many as 15,000 workers could be heading to the picket lines, resulting in the largest hospitality strike in recent history. In that event, anime fans flying in the for convention could find themselves without a place to stay and will want to keep a close eye on the news before making the trek.
What to Expect From Anime Expo
The lack of lodging could be a concern for Anime Expo, as the convention is the largest anime convention in North America. Aside from its guests, Expo brings a number of the biggest names in anime over from Japan, and a hotel workers' strike could have ramifications for them as well. The convention announced its guest list earlier in June, a star-studded collection that includes MAPPA CEO Manabu Ohtsuka and the voice of Loid Forger on Spy x Family, Takuya Eguchi. In addition to major producers and voice talent, Expo also plans to host renowned mangaka like Soul Eater and Fire Force creator Atsushi Ohkubo and Kafka Asagiri of Bungo Stray Dogs.
Anime Expo isn’t just a celebration of the stars, however, as the convention also provides opportunities for up-and-coming artists, many of who are SoCal locals and will be in attendance regardless of the hotel strike. Expo holds an enormous "Artist Alley" with hundreds of illustrators and creators attending to interact with their fans or find new ones. This year the convention will also include a "Maid Cafe" and a "Butler Cafe," each of which have an all-ages and 18+ variation. Whether the maids and butlers will be striking alongside their fellow hospitality workers remains to be seen.
Anime Expo is set to run this July 1-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown L.A.
Source: Anime News Network