In a historic collaboration, LA’s Hospitality Training Academy (HTA) has teamed with UNITE HERE Local 11, the hospitality worker’s union, and management of the soon-to-open InterContinental Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles to meet and hire prospective staff. Seeing this level of outreach in the community was inspiring. The hotel plans to hire at least 550 union jobs with healthcare, pensions and other benefits. The new 900-room hotel will be the largest InterContinental in the Americas.