Mayor Rex Richardson sent a letter this month to one of Long Beach’s major hotel operators, saying he was concerned about a “disturbing pattern of violence” against workers who were picketing for better pay.

“The events that have transpired at the Hotel Maya are alarming and deeply troubling,” Richardson wrote in the Feb. 7 letter to Michael Moskowitz and Kambiz Babaoff, who are the CEO and chairman, respectively, of Ensemble Investments, the company that owns the waterfront hotel.

Richardson’s letter comes as Ensemble has been locked in a labor dispute with Unite Here Local 11, which represents more than 32,000 unionized hospitality workers and has been successful in winning contracts with increased pay and benefits at many other Southern California hotels.

In the letter, Richardson questioned why Ensemble hasn’t been able to reach a similar deal and urged the company to resolve the dispute as soon as possible.

In a statement, Hotel Maya General Manager Greg Guthrie accused Unite Here of “bashing” the hotel with false accusations.

In his criticism of Ensemble, Richardson highlighted two cases of alleged violence, one of which was captured in a video released by Unite Here.

On Aug. 5, security guards and wedding guests attempted to forcefully move picketing workers at Hotel Maya by using temporary fencing to push them. Amid the fray, several workers were assaulted by a man allegedly not affiliated with the hotel or wedding party.

In December, a Hotel Maya housekeeper, who was picketing in front of the hotel, alleged a man yelled at her before he aggressively grabbed her by the arm, throwing her megaphone to the ground. Unite Here identified the man as Frank Zarabi, an investor in the hotel. He has denied the allegations.

In a press release, Unite Here thanked Richardson for sending the letter.

“The support elected officials are giving to Long Beach hotel workers during this time proves that Long Beach values are those of equality and justice,” Unite Here co-President Ada Briceño said in a statement. “We need Ensemble, Hotel Maya and any hotel owner looking to do business in these cities to do the same.”

Other elected officials, including Long Beach Councilmember Roberto Uranga and Assemblymembers Chris Holden and Avelino Valencia are among nearly a dozen elected officials who have sent similar letters, according to the union.

In his letter, Richardson also noted his “disappointment” in an ongoing labor dispute at Ensemble Investments’ Hyatt Place Pasadena, where workers went on strike last month.

“There is equal concern about the failure to resolve this labor dispute as well, which resulted in a recent walkout and numerous actions, including over the New Year’s Holiday, which is an important holiday for the City of Pasadena,” Richardson wrote.

Richardson noted that there have been positive resolutions at dozens of hotels with tentative agreements reached between the union and management. Less than one week after Richardson’s Feb. 7 letter, two Long Beach hotels — Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Centric — reached tentative contract agreements for more than 350 workers.

Negotiations at the Hotel Maya, meanwhile, have been at a standstill for months. The union has refused to sit down with management, saying they won’t until action is taken to address the violent incidents, including apologies and financial compensation for medical bills.

Both the Long Beach hotel and union have filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board against each other. Hotel Maya alleges the union is bargaining in bad faith, while the union’s complaint centered around the violence at Hotel Maya and other Southern California hotels.

The union, however, has since withdrawn that complaint, a move that Guthrie, the Hotel Maya manager, said “speaks volumes and is an acknowledgment by Local 11 that the allegations against Hotel Maya were meritless.”

Union spokesperson Maria Hernandez confirmed Thursday that the union has, in fact, withdrawn its complaint, but said the union “does not consider the matter meritless at all and we are exploring other legal options.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information and a statement from Hotel Maya.