Unrest is breaking out on the local labor front, while hotel workers are ramping up their strike preparations and United Airlines flight attendants are announcing the outcome of their nationwide strike vote.
The tourism industry is threatened by a strike by hotel employees as part of collective bargaining negotiations with the companies that operate the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Moana Surfrider, The Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Sheraton Waikiki, Waikiki Beach Marriott and the Sheraton Kauai Resort.
Unite Here! Local 5 represents more than 5,000 workers at these eight hotel properties.
“The changes we have seen as a result of the pandemic, particularly in terms of workload and staff reductions, are cuts that our hotel operators and owners have tried to make permanent,” said Cade Watanabe of the local union.
He said the potential strike would be the union’s largest mobilization in more than 30 years. In 2018, about 2,700 hotel workers went on strike for 51 days. The last major hotel strike in Hawaii was in 1990, when 8,000 workers from 11 hotels went on strike for three weeks.
“The big concern is whether we will have tourism that really works for us locals and tourism that also works for our guests, because the impact has not only been on our hotel and restaurant workers, but has also had a huge impact on the level and quality of service that our guests expect and deserve,” Watanabe said.
For example, it is not uncommon for guests at the Hilton Hawaiian Village to wait 45 minutes in line to check in, he said.
“Our hotel owners and operators are making as much money today as they did before the pandemic, if not more. They are even charging our guests more and providing less service,” Watanabe said.
In addition, the union was able to prevent a nationwide strike by airline catering workers by ratifying a contract with Gate Gourmet.
At many airports across the country and in Honolulu, United Airlines employees who are members of the Association of Flight Attendants held an informational strike on Wednesday to announce the outcome of their vote authorizing the strike and are demanding pay increases and other benefits.
“99.9% of United flight attendants voted to strike if necessary,” said Kevin Batey, president of AFA Local Council 14. “The recent votes to authorize a strike have advanced negotiations by flight attendants at American, Alaska and Southwest, resulting in tentative agreements at all three airlines within months of voting to authorize a strike.”
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
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This is United Airlines’ first strike vote in 19 years. Batey said the group is far from a strike at this point. Among the steps required is for the union to seek permission from the National Mediation Board.
“We hope United understands how serious the flight attendants are about getting a contract that we can ratify in the foreseeable future and not have to wait years for,” Batey told HPR. “The flight attendants need relief now.”
This interview was broadcast on The conversation on August 28, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
