Royal Kona Workers to rally following contract expiration

Royal Kona workers are turning up the heat with a rally on Wednesday to demand a fair contract that meets the Waikiki standard

Since their contract expired at the end of January, workers at Royal Kona have stepped up to push management to value and respect their hard work with actions in front of the hotel, and a button-up to show solidarity. THE UNION UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY 19, 2025
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Royal Kona Workers to rally following contract expiration

WHO: Hotel workers from Royal Kona Resort represented by UNITE HERE Local 5 (Local 5) Hawai‘i’s hotel, healthcare, and food service union

WHAT: Rally for a new contract

WHERE & WHEN: Wednesday, February 19 @ 5-6 p.m. in front of the Royal Kona Resort 75-5852 Ali‘i Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

WHY:

Nearly 200, Royal Kona workers represented by Local 5 have been working without a contract since February 1 and are rallying today to call on Royal Kona’s management to settle their new contract. Royal Kona workers are fighting for the same improvements in wages, workload, and job security that hotel workers in Waikiki won last year following the historic 3-day Labor Day strike at eight major Hawai‘i hotels and the 40-day strike at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

“We are rallying today to put pressure on the company to give us a fair contract that meets the standard won by Waikiki hotel workers who went on strike in 2024. We refuse to be treated as second-class workers because we work on the neighbor island, meanwhile we are doing the same work every day as hotel workers in Waikiki,” said Maggie Larson, Housekeeper at the Royal Kona Resort, 33 years of service. “I have been working at this hotel for 33 years and I love my job, but I have been struggling to pay all my bills and support my family with Hawai‘i’s high cost of living.”

“We look forward to our upcoming bargaining sessions with Royal Kona. We are confident that we will be able to reach an agreement that values our work and starts to catch up Royal Kona workers with the Waikiki standard,” said Gemma Weinstein, Local 5 President.

The Royal Kona Resort is one of seven Hawaii hotels represented by Local 5 that is up for contract negotiations this year including the Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay; the Modern Honolulu, A Hilton Vacation Club; the Ilikai Hotel; the DoubleTree by Hilton Alana – Waikiki Beach; the Hale Koa Hotel, and the Waikoloa

Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. On January 20, workers at the Kahala Hotel & Resort ratified their new contract within weeks of their contract expiring.

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About UNITE HERE Local 5

Local 5 represents 10,000 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.