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.
Please contact:
Angelina Spence, Communications Organizer • [email protected] • (808) 391-6988
IN THE NEWS
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.
Hawai‘i unions deliver 10-Day strike notice to Kaiser Permanente, thousands of Hawai‘i healthcare workers set to strike
HONOLULU,HI–Over 2,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in Hawai‘i represented by UNITE HERE Local 5 (Local 5) and Hawaii Nurses and Healthcare Professionals (HNHP) have voted to authorize a strike. Local 5 members voted 97% “Yes” to authorizing a strike and HNHP members from three bargaining units voted 89% giving union leadership the ability to call a strike if necessary after contracts expire on September 30.
Key priorities for workers include safe staffing that protects workers’ wellbeing and quality patient care and fair wage increases. In Hawai‘i workers in some classifications are paid up to 30% less than their counterparts on the continent and do not receive the same benefits.
Thousands of Hawai‘i Kaiser Permanente workers authorize strike across four islands
HONOLULU,HI–Over 2,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in Hawai‘i represented by UNITE HERE Local 5 (Local 5) and Hawaii Nurses and Healthcare Professionals (HNHP) have voted to authorize a strike. Local 5 members voted 97% “Yes” to authorizing a strike and HNHP members from three bargaining units voted 89% giving union leadership the ability to call a strike if necessary after contracts expire on September 30.
Key priorities for workers include safe staffing that protects workers’ wellbeing and quality patient care and fair wage increases. In Hawai‘i workers in some classifications are paid up to 30% less than their counterparts on the continent and do not receive the same benefits.
Workers at The Modern Honolulu reach tentative agreement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 10, 2025 Workers at The Modern Honolulu reach tentative agreement HONOLULU, HI– Last night, nearly 150 workers at The Modern Honolulu represented by UNITE HERE Local 5 (Local 5) reached a tentative agreement on a new contract and secured the “Waikiki Standard” set by Hilton strikers in 2024. Highlights of […]
Leading up to International Women’s Day, Modern Honolulu and Ilikai hotel workers to rally for a fair contract
ONE UNION ONE STANDARD Today, nearly 200 Waikiki hotel workers rallied outside of The Modern Honolulu and the Ilikai Hotel to call on management to “Respect our work” and “Respect our guests” by giving their workers a fair contract. Workers at Modern & Ilikai are fighting for improvements equal to the “Waikiki Standard” secured at […]