UNITE HERE Local 5 represents 10,000 workers in Hawaiʻi who work in the hotel, healthcare, & food services industries. We welcome inquiries from the media regarding our industries, members, policy and politics, and other issues of concerns to Hawaii workers.
Media Contact: Angelina Spence, Communications Organizer • [email protected] • (808) 391-6988
Union members demand more from developers of 1588 Ala Moana
Royal Kona Resort workers to rally for a fair contract after 16 months of unsuccessful negotiations
Seven Days in June Candlelight Vigil to honor those who have lost their lives from lack of health care
VICTORY! Congratulations to Hale Nani Rehabilitation and Nursing Center workers on ratifying their new contract with 100% voting YES 🎉
Hale Nani workers won their new contract by sticking together and being ready to do whatever it takes to put pressure on the company from signing petitions to rallying to preparing to go on an open-ended strike.
Nearly 2,000 Hawaii Kaiser workers ratify new contract after nearly a year of negotiations
HONOLULU, HI – Today, nearly 2,000 Kaiser workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 5 (Local 5) voted 97% YES to ratify a new contract after nearly a year of negotiations. Local 5 members previously went on a 5-day strike at Kaiser locations across Hawai‘i in October 2025, alongside about 44,000 more Kaiser workers in the Alliance of Healthcare Unions.
Hale Nani healthcare workers vote 100% YES to ratify contract
VICTORY! Congratulations to Hale Nani Rehabilitation and Nursing Center workers on ratifying their new contract with 100% voting YES 🎉
Hale Nani workers won their new contract by sticking together and being ready to do whatever it takes to put pressure on the company from signing petitions to rallying to preparing to go on an open-ended strike.
Hale Nani healthcare workers reach tentative agreement, averting open-ended strike
Late last night, Hale Nani healthcare workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 5 (Local 5) reached a tentative agreement with management. With a tentative agreement reached, workers at the Hale Nani Rehab & Nursing Facility will no longer be going on an open-ended strike on Monday, February 23 as previously announced.
Highlights of the tentative agreement includes the restoration of the hours and staffing management cut last year, affordable family healthcare, and significant wage increases.
Over 200 healthcare workers to strike after 10-Day notice delivered to Hale Nani Rehab & Nursing Center
Workers rally at Hale Nani Rehab & Nursing Center following contract expiration
Royal Kona Resort workers walk out on one-day strike
KAILUA-KONA, HI – This morning, over 150 hotel workers began a one-day strike at the Royal Kona Resort including housekeepers, maintenance workers, bellman, cooks, and more. Royal Kona workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 5 (Local 5) have been working without a contract since February and contract negotiations have been ongoing since then.
Over 1,900 Kaiser Permanente workers begin 5-day strike on four Hawaiian islands
HONOLULU, HI – As of 6:30 a.m., over 1,900 Kaiser Permanente workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 5 (Local 5) are on a limited-duration 5-day strike until Sunday, October 19 at 7 a.m. More than 45,000 Kaiser workers in California, Oregon, and Washington state are also on strike as part of the Alliance of Healthcare Unions. The strike impacts 20 Kaiser locations on O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i, and Hawai‘i Island, and includes medical assistants, hospital aides, lab assistants, dietary specialists, housekeepers, and more.
Contract negotiations on the local level began in April between Kaiser and Local 5. Key priorities for workers include wage increases that keep up with the cost of living and safe staffing that protects the physical and mental health of workers, while ensuring quality patient care.