L.A.-area hotel workers vote to authorize potential strike over pay and benefits.

Over 15,000 hotel workers in Los Angeles and Orange counties have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if their employers do not agree to major wage boosts in contract negotiations. The union is asking for a $5 immediate hourly wage increase and a $3 boost each subsequent year of the three-year contract, for a total of $11. Contracts are expiring on June 30 at 62 Southern California hotels, including luxury stays such as the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles, the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, and the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. If a contract agreement isn’t reached, a strike could begin as early as the Fourth of July weekend and would be the largest in modern U.S. history.