For Kyo-Ya Local 5 members: Know your Rights
Royal Hawaiian concierges have gone on strike as of 3am this morning. Their strike will end at 6pm tonight. Local 5 has approved their picket line. Kyo-Ya Local 5 members are urged to honor the line and not work today.
The most important thing for you to know is: you are protected if you choose to respect their line. You are protected if you do not cross their picket line. Our contract, section 9.2, allows you to respect a lawful picket line approved by the Union.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What do I do if I come to work and see a picket line approved by the Union?
You have a right to respect the picket line and, as with any approved picket line, we recommend that you do not cross. You do not have to notify your boss that you are honoring it. Under your contract, you can’t picket or strike but you can only respect the concierge’s picket line by not crossing. You can enjoy the day off.
What if I am already inside and started working and I hear that a strike line has gone up outside? What should I do?You should finish your shift. The CBA requires that the Employer provide employees “reasonable notice of any changes in the schedule and the Union is promptly notified by management of the reason for the change in schedule.” The Employer must consider your prior commitments so, if asked to stay overtime, you should make those known to your manager.
What if I am home and find out that a strike line is at the hotel, what should I do? If you know there is a union-approved picket line, you do not have to call in or come in. Report to your next scheduled shift after the strike ends. If you are on-call, you do not have to accept a shift and you may respect the line.
How will we get know when the strike begins and ends? Only the concierges know if and when a strike will happen. When the Union is notified, we will send a text blast to all those who are on our plugged in phone list. To get on the text blast list, see your organizer. You can also call your committee member for updates or the Local 5 office at 941-2141. For some, you will know when you arrive and see a line.
Has anything like this happened before? What was the result? Yes, in 2004 a group of Kyo-ya hotel workers from San Francisco that work at the Palace Hotel set up a picket line outside the Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The Union approved this picket line and over 90% of the workers at both hotels respected it. It was one of our most powerful actions and showed great unity that helped us win the best contract we ever won in 2006.
Why does this matter to me?
The best way to secure high standards of wages, benefits and job security is to have a Union. Employers often resist Union growth because they want to limit our power. If we grow, we get stronger and we win more. A group of concierges approached the Union in August 2017 and then met with the company in October 2017 to ask for a fair process to join the Union. On October 26, 2017 they were notified that they would be subcontracted. We stand behind the concierge workers because they will make us stronger and they will help us win a new contract. By respecting the line, we send a very powerful message to the company that Union and Non-Union are united to fight subcontracting, and that we will keep fighting until we win.