Archive for category: News

Media Advisory for June 22, 2018

Media Contact: Paola Rodelas
Office Phone: (808) 941-2141 ext. 270
Cell Phone: (808) 333-4782
prodelas@5.unitehere.org

Thousands of Local 5 workers to kick off union contract expiration with largest march and rally in years

20 Hawaii hotels have union contracts expiring in 2018; workers call on hotel companies to Provide One Job that is Enough for Hotel Workers

WHAT: UNITE HERE Local 5 march and rally to launch international union contract campaign

Click the map to see larger version

WHERE: Two march starting points at 1) Ft. DeRussy and 2) Kalakaua & Kaiulani. Both marches end with a rally on Kalakaua near the banyan tree and the Duke Kahanamoku statue. See attached map.

WHEN:  Wednesday, June 27, 2018 (4:00pm – 6:00pm). Both marches start at 4:30pm. Rally near the Duke statue starts at 5:30pm.

WHO: Thousands of UNITE HERE Local 5 workers from dozens of hotels in Waikiki, including Marriott workers from five of the most prominent hotels in Hawai’i, who work in housekeeping, food & beverage, engineering, front desk, and more

WHY: Over 10,000 workers who work in 20 Hawaii hotels have union contracts expiring in 2018. Marriott, the largest and richest hotel chain in the world, operates eight Local 5 hotels[1], making Marriott the major employer that the union will be bargaining with this year.

Hotel workers are calling on Marriott to use its leadership in the global hotel industry to create jobs that are enough to live on in Hawaii. Local 5 members are the backbone of Hawaii’s tourism industry with record high visitor arrivals and spending, hotel sales, and room rates; yet workers struggle to live in the same city they welcome guests and travelers to.

Marriott employees in nine cities across the U.S. and Canada who are members of UNITE HERE will also hold simultaneous demonstrations in what will be the launch of an international contract fight for Marriott workers facing or already impacted by immediate contract expirations. In addition to demanding Marriott provide jobs that are enough for workers to live on in the cities where they work, workers will demand Marriott protect their ability to serve guests, use technology to innovate not cut human service, and offer stronger protections for safety at work, including sexual harassment.

VISUALS: Thousands of workers in red shirts, holding signs and banners that read “One Job Should Be Enough,” while they march down Kalakaua Ave. in Waikiki

Local 5 represents approximately 11,000 workers throughout Hawaii who work in the hospitality, health care and food service industries and is an affiliate of UNITE HERE, an international union that represents over 250,000 workers throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.unitehere5.org.

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[1] Waikiki Beach Marriott, Sheraton Waikiki, The Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Westin Moana Surfrider, Sheraton Maui, Sheraton Kauai, Waikoloa Beach Marriott

Local 5 endorses David Ige for Governor

Hawaii’s Best Union three years in a row announced the endorsement to hundreds of Local 5 members at their annual statewide Delegate Convention

(Honolulu, HI) – UNITE HERE Local 5, Hawaii’s Best Union three years in a row and one of the largest private sector unions in the state, announced that they are endorsing David Ige for Governor. The announcement was made at Local 5’s annual statewide Delegate Convention, where hundreds of Local 5 members enthusiastically responded to the news.

Local 5’s member-led Political Action Team made the endorsement recommendation, and Local 5’s elected Executive Board unanimously supported the endorsement.

“Local 5 is endorsing Governor Ige in his re-election campaign because he has been loyal to Hawaii’s working families. We saw this when he vetoed a bad Airbnb bill; if it had passed, it would have allowed illegal vacation rentals to overrun our state and take away what little affordable housing is left for locals. He shot down the NextEra merger with Hawaiian Electric, which would have been disastrous for working families who already pay way too much for utilities and can’t afford to pay more,” says Eric Gill, Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Local 5.

Governor Ige also affirmed his support for nearly 150 non-union United Airlines catering workers at the Honolulu Airport who want a fair process to unionize. “Governor Ige understands that workers like me are the backbone of Hawaii’s tourism industry. I’m happy to hear that he supports raising the minimum wage to $15. As a non-union United Airlines catering worker, I only make $12 an hour and struggle to make ends meet. Like us, Governor Ige believes that one job should be enough to live in Hawai’i and support our families,” says Ino Otto, who has worked at United Airlines catering for five years.

Over 10,000 Local 5 members in the hospitality, healthcare, and food service industries have union contracts expiring this year. Most of the major union hotel contracts expire on June 30. Governor Ige pledged to support Local 5’s One Job Should Be Enough campaign and will be joining Local 5 members next week as we publicly launch the campaign.

Local 5 represents approximately 11,000 workers throughout Hawaii who work in the hospitality, health care and food service industries and is an affiliate of UNITE HERE, an international union that represents over 250,000 workers throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.unitehere5.org.

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