Inter Miami arrived in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon to finalize their preparations ahead of the crucial match against LAFC, the current MLS champions. This match could determine the fate of the Herons in the final stretch of the regular season.
However, upon landing, the team led by Lionel Messi encountered an issue. The Fairmont Miramar hotel in Santa Monica, where they planned to stay, was in the midst of a strike. Workers were protesting over irregularities in their employment contracts.
Sources from the Los Angeles Times and The Athletic pointed out that given this situation at the hotel, the Inter Miami team, along with Messi, decided to support the protesters and canceled their reservation as a sign of solidarity. The strike is believed to involve more than 60 hotel employees.
Subsequently, the MLS Players Association released a statement praising Inter Miami's decision to back the hotel workers in their labor dispute.
The statement read: “The MLSPA is proud to stand with the striking workers at the Fairmont Miramar and other hotels in the Los Angeles area. We applaud the decision of the MLS and Inter Miami to choose a different hotel this weekend.”