Anaheim, California, Measure A, Minimum Wage Increase to Hotel and Event Center Workers Measure (October 2023)

Anaheim Measure A
Election date October 3, 2023
Topic Local minimum wage
Status Defeated
Type Initiative

Anaheim Measure A was on the ballot as an initiative in Anaheim on October 3, 2023. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported increasing the hourly minimum wage to $25 for hotel and event center workers, requiring overtime wages to hotel workers who exceed workload limits, prohibiting mandatory overtime, requiring hotels and event centers to maintain most workers for at least 90 days after an ownership change, and ensuring that hotel workers are equipped with personal electronic security devices.

A "no" vote opposed increasing the hourly minimum wage to $25 for hotel and event center workers, requiring overtime wages to hotel workers who exceed workload limits, prohibiting mandatory overtime, requiring hotels and event centers to maintain most workers for at least 90 days after an ownership change, and ensuring that hotel workers are equipped with personal electronic security devices.

Election results

Anaheim Measure A
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		11,809	33.72%
No		23,210	66.28%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Measure design

This measure was designed to increase the minimum wage to $25 per hour for hotel staff and event center workers. The minimum wage would then increase annually by the greater of 3% or CPI starting in 2016.

Under this measure, hotel employers must provide employees that work in guest rooms or restrooms with personal security electronic devices, such as a panic button, to be used in emergency cases. Hotel employers must also have a security guard who can receive security alerts from staff and provide immediate assistance. Hotel workers would be required to clean no more than 4,000 square feet in hotels with fewer than 60 rooms, and no more than 3,500 square feet for hotels with more than 60 rooms. Hotel workers would not be required to work more than 10 hours a day under this measure.

If ownership of a hotel or event center is transferred, the new owner, under this measure, must continue to employ every non-managerial worker for at least 90 days, with exceptions based on work performance or previous conduct.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Measure A was as follows:

“

Shall an ordinance be adopted to increase, within 10 days after voter approval is declared, the hourly minimum wage payable to hotel and event center workers to $25, and with a 3% minimum annual increase beginning in 2026, to afford temporary retention rights to such workers, and to require safety measures and workload restrictions for hotel workers?

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis was prepared by the office of the Anaheim City Attorney:

“	Overview: Measure A was placed on the ballot by petition signed by the requisite number of voters. The measure would change the terms and conditions of employment for workers at Anaheim hotels and event centers (publicly or privately owned convention centers, concert halls, stadiums, and sports arenas of over 20,000 square feet) as summarized below. Minimum Wage Current Law: Currently, the minimum wage in California is $15.50 per hour, and increases yearly. Under a previous voter-approved measure, Anaheim resort-district hotels benefiting from City rebates must pay a minimum wage of $19.40 per hour, increasing annually by the greater of 2% or the Consumer Price Index (“CPI") Measure A: Under this measure, the minimum wage for hotel and event center workers would increase to $25 per hour. Beginning in 2026, the minimum wage would increase annually for these workers by the greater of 3% or the CPI. Personal Security Devices Current Law: Under existing City law, beginning in 2024, hotels must provide electronic emergency devices to hotel workers assigned to work alone in guest rooms or restrooms, providing direct contact to trained hotel security staff. Hotels must allow workers paid time to report any violent or threatening conduct, and to reasonably accommodate those making such reports. Hotels must notify guests of these requirements upon check-in and by prominently displaying notices in each guest room. Measure A: The measure would have similar requirements as the current law, but would make the requirements take effect sooner. A notice would be required to be posted behind each guest room door. Workload / Overtime Hotel cleaning workers could not be required to clean more than 4,000 square feet in smaller hotels (fewer than 60 rooms), or more than 3,500 square feet in larger hotels, unless the hotel pays that worker double-time for the entire workday. Absent written consent, hotel workers could not be required to work more than ten hours per day. Hotels would be prohibited from implementing programs (including financial incentives for guests) whereby occupied guest rooms are not cleaned nightly. Employee Retention If hotels or event centers change ownership, the new owner would be required to offer continued employment for at least 90 days to every non-managerial worker who was employed for at least one month, with limited exceptions based on past performance or conduct. Service Charges Hotels and event centers would have to pay any service charges received from a customer to the employee(s) who performed the services, excluding managerial employees. Waivers Employers could seek annual waivers from the measure’s provisions, excluding the worker safety provisions, upon the showing of financial hardship, as defined. Enforcement Employees could seek to enforce this measure by reporting violations to Anaheim officials or by initiating litigation against the employer. Effective Date If the measure is approved, it would take effect 10 days after the election result is certified. A YES vote on Measure A would impose these new employment requirements for Anaheim hotel and event center workers. A NO vote opposes them.	”
—Anaheim City Attorney

Support

Unite Here Local 11 was leading the campaign in support of the initiative.

Supporters

Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in support of the ballot measure.

Arguments

• Ada Briceño, co-president of Unite Here Local 11: "Residents want to stand on their own, they’re already working really hard, and they deserve to be paid enough so they don’t have to qualify for assistance and they’re going the opposite direction. What else needs to happen for them to understand that the system is broken."

Opposition

No on Measure A was leading the campaign in opposition to the initiative.

Opponents

Officials

• Councilmember Jose Diaz (Nonpartisan)
• Councilmember Norma Campos Kurtz
• Councilmember Natalie Meeks (Nonpartisan)

Organizations

• American Hotel & Lodging Association
• Anaheim Chamber of Commerce
• Anaheim Neighborhood Association
• Asian American Hotel Owners Association PAC (AAHOA PAC)
• California Hotel and Lodging Association
• California Restaurant Association

Arguments

• Councilmember Jose Diaz: "This special interest proposal is extremely risky and should be rejected by Anaheim voters. Measure A will jeopardize critical quality of life services throughout the city."

Media editorials

See also: 2023 ballot measure media endorsements

Ballotpedia identified the following media editorial boards as taking positions on the initiative.

Ballotpedia lists the positions of media editorial boards that support or oppose ballot measures. This does not include opinion pieces from individuals or groups that do not represent the official position of a newspaper or media outlet. Ballotpedia includes editorials from newspapers and outlets based on circulation and readership, political coverage within a state, and length of publication. You can share media editorial board endorsements with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Support

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Opposition

• The Orange County Register Editorial Board: "Quite simply, the $25 dollar an hour wage proposal would be disastrous for the resort industry, will obliterate jobs and take a toll on the city’s budget. Employers and employees should determine the right wages at the bargaining table. Voters shouldn’t decide what companies ought to pay. Minimum-wage laws have disastrous economic effects."

Background

California minimum wage

See also: Minimum wage by state in the United States

As of August 2023, the minimum wage in California was $15.50, which was effective on January 1, 2023. Local jurisdictions in California may have their own minimum wage.

Anaheim Measure L (2018)

See also: Anaheim, California, Measure L, Hospitality Industry Minimum Wage Initiative (November 2018)

In 2018, Anaheim voters approved Measure L, which increased the minimum wage for hospitality employees to $18 an hour by 2022. Measure L was approved by 54.2%-45.8% of the vote.

The Coalition of Labor Resort Unions led the effort to place the initiative on the ballot, whereas the No on the Anaheim Job Killer Initiative led the campaign in opposition to the initiative.

Path to the ballot

In March 2023, the Unite Here Local 11 union submitted more than 26,000 signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot. The City of Anaheim and the Orange County Registrar's Office found that 16,842 were valid.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in California

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in California.

How to vote in California

Poll times

All polls in California are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in California, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and California resident, not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony, and not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court. A voter must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day. Pre-registration is available at 16 years of age. Pre-registered voters are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

California automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they complete a driver's license, identification (ID) card, or change of address transaction through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Learn more by visiting this website.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

California has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

California allows same-day voter registration.

Californians must be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day. If the registration deadline has passed for an upcoming election, voters may visit a county elections office, polling place, or vote center during the 14 days prior to, and including Election Day to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot, which are counted once county election officials have completed the voter registration verification process. The state refers to this process as Same Day Voter Registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in California, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

California's constitution requires that voters be U.S. citizens. When registering to vote, proof of citizenship is not required. Individuals who become U.S. citizens less than 15 days before an election must bring proof of citizenship to their county elections office to register to vote in that election. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

As of October 2025, two jurisdictions in California had authorized noncitizen residents to vote for local board of education positions through local ballot measures. Only one of those jurisdictions, San Francisco, had implemented that law. Noncitizens voting for board of education positions must register to vote using a separate application from the state voter registration application.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Two states, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The secretary of state's My Voter Status website allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

California does not require voters to present identification before casting a ballot in most cases.

On September 29, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 1174 into law prohibiting any jurisdiction in the state from adopting a local law that requires voters to present ID before voting.

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote.

The following list of accepted ID to comply with HAVA requirements was current as of October 2025. Click here for the California Secretary of State page to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Current and valid photo identification provided by a third party in the ordinary course of business that includes the name and photograph of the individual presenting it. Examples of photo identification include, but are not limited to, the following documents: driver's license or identification card of any state; passport; employee identification card; identification card provided by a commercial establishment; credit or debit card; military identification card; student identification card; health club identification card; insurance plan identification card; or public housing identification card. Any of the following documents, provided that the document includes the name and address of the individual presenting it, and is dated since the date of the last general election…: utility bill; bank statement; government check; government paycheck; document issued by a governmental agency; sample ballot or other official elections document issued by a governmental agency dated for the election in which the individual is providing it as proof of residency or identity; voter notification card issued by a governmental agency; public housing identification card issued by a governmental agency; lease or rental statement or agreement issued by a governmental agency; student identification card issued by a governmental agency; tuition statement or bill issued by a governmental agency; insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency; discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued to the individual by a governmental agency in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence, or other matter; public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards issued by a governmental agency; identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies; identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government temporary or transitional facilities; drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider; property tax statement issued by a governmental agency; vehicle registration issued by a governmental agency; or vehicle certificate of ownership issued by a governmental agency.

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2023
• Minimum wage ballot measures

California

• California 2023 local measures
• Local ballot measures, California
• Anaheim, California

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas