Marriott Strike Bulletin: Day 3

View PDF version of Marriott Strike Day 3 bulletin here.

View all photos from Marriott Strike Day 2.

As workers entered Day 2 of our strike strong and united, the response we received from the community and guests has been overwhelmingly supportive.

  • United Public Workers (UPW) pulled members out of a safety conference at the Sheraton Waikiki to honor our strike.
  • 4 Hawaiian Telcom workers (members of IBEW Local 1357) honored our strike and didn’t cross our picket lines at the Marriott Kyo-ya Waikiki hotels.
  • More union leaders and members have joined our Marriott strike picket lines, including Teamsters, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and the Machinists.
  • So many workers joined our strike that management gave letters to guests saying guest services are limited or shut down (click here for letters to guests at Sheraton Maui, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, Moana Surfrider).

News coverage:

Marriott Strike Bulletin: Day 2

View PDF version of Marriott Strike Day 2 bulletin here.

View all photos from Marriott Strike Day 1.

We started off our strike with strong turnout at all 5 picket lines, sending a message loud and clear to Marriott and Kyo-ya that one job should be enough to live in Hawai‘i!

Yesterday’s victories include:

  • Hawaii Sheet Metal Workers Union honored our strike and checked out of 100 rooms that were booked for a week at Sheraton Maui for their conference.
  • A United Airlines flight crew honored our strike and checked out of the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.
    IUEC Local 126 elevator workers honored our strike and refused to do work at the Kyo-ya Waikiki hotels.
  • Members of Academic Labor United and American Federation of Teachers joined us on the picket line.
  • Royal Hawaiian worker Janal Kaina spoke at a Standing with Survivors action at UH Manoa about our Marriott strike and our demand for the company to respect women.
  • Senator Mazie Hirono released a public statement standing in solidarity with us, which went viral on her social media accounts.

News coverage:

Marriott Strike Bulletin: Day 1

View PDF version of Strike Bulletin Day 1 here.

2,700+ Marriott hotel workers in Hawai‘i from 5 hotels are on strike to demand that one job should be enough!

Honolulu and Maui workers are joining the nationwide #MarriottStrike totaling 8 cities with 7,700 workers from 23 Marriott hotels in Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, San Diego, and Detroit.

If you have Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, let Marriott and the community know why you’re on strike and why one job should be enough to live in Hawai‘i. Use hashtags #1job #MarriottStrike.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and get Plugged In (text LOCAL 5 to 877-877) to see the latest updates, including photos and videos from picket lines in Hawai‘i and nationwide.

Kaiser Ratification Schedule

Hello Kaiser Alliance/Local 5 Workers,

We are on the home stretch! The National Agreement has been endorsed and we have a tentative agreement on our local contract. All that is needed is your vote of approval to ratify both contracts. Please see the ratification schedule below. Come out and vote!

Click here for PDF of the schedule.

Hawaii Hotel Workers Vote 95% to Authorize Strike on Marriott

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

Hawaii Hotel Workers Vote 95% to Authorize Strike on Marriott

3,500 Marriott hotel workers in Hawaii could call a strike at any moment

Marriott workers in Honolulu

(Honolulu, HI) – UNITE HERE Local 5 hotel workers from six Marriott-operated hotels in Honolulu and Maui have voted to authorize a strike with a 95% yes vote.

The strike authorization comes after months of negotiations with Marriott for contracts covering over 3,500 hotel workers. Workers from six Marriott-operated hotels voted yes to authorize a strike: Waikiki Beach Marriott, Sheraton Waikiki, The Royal Hawaiian, Westin Moana Surfrider, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, and Sheraton Maui.

“We want to come to an agreement with Marriott, but our members are preparing for a strike if contracts are not settled soon,” said Eric Gill, Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 5, “Our proposal is to make one job enough to live in Hawaii. Marriott’s proposal is to get another job.”

“I voted yes to strike because our hotels keep squeezing us to work harder, while we get less. We need to fight for proper staffing and reasonable workloads so we can be healthy when we retire and not broken down,” says Julie Gabot, a 60-year-old housekeeper at the Sheraton Waikiki who has worked there for 30 years.

Marriott workers on Maui

Laurie DeCoite, a PBX operator who has worked at the Sheraton Maui for 30 years, also voted yes to strike: “Generations of my family have worked at the Sheraton Maui. Those who worked before went on strike so that we could enjoy the benefits we do today. Now, it’s our turn to make sure we protect what they won for future generations.”

Workers are demanding Marriott, the world’s largest and richest hotel company, to make one job enough to live in Hawaii. Additionally, workers are fighting for job security by addressing issues like automation and technology, workplace safety, immigration, and more.

Marriott hotel workers will also be taking strike votes on September 12 in Boston, September 13 in San Francisco and San Jose, and September 14 in Seattle. In total, the nationwide strike votes will cover over 8,000 union UNITE HERE workers in more than 20 hotels in six major hotel markets for Marriott: Honolulu, Maui, Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle.

UNITE HERE Local 5 is encouraging Hawaii residents, elected officials, political candidates, and tourists to support workers by not patronizing hotels in case there is a labor dispute. In an event of a strike, please do not cross picket lines. UNITE HERE maintains MarriottTravelAlert.org, a service for customers of Marriott hotels who need to know whether labor disputes could affect their travel or event plans.

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.

# # #

Labor Day Rallies – Honolulu and Maui

We have had enough. One job should be enough. Take a stand for a better Hawai’i. Join UNITE HERE Local 5 and thousands of workers around the country on Labor Day.

Rally with us in Honolulu and Maui on Labor Day (Mon. September 3):

  • Honolulu: 4pm-6pm at the Waikiki Beach Marriott (2552 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815)
  • Maui: 4pm-5:30pm at the Sheraton Maui (2605 Kaanapali Pkwy, Kaanapali, Hawaii 96761)

Click here for a list of other actions in the U.S.