Strike at Royal Hawaiian Hotel! Thousands of Local 5 members at Kyo-Ya Waikiki hotels honor Royal Hawaiian concierge strike, do not report to work

Media Advisory for January 26, 2018

Media Contact: Paola Rodelas
Mobile: (808) 333-4782
prodelas@5.unitehere.org

Strike at Royal Hawaiian Hotel! Thousands of Local 5 members at Kyo-Ya Waikiki hotels honor Royal Hawaiian concierge strike, do not report to work

WHAT: Local 5 approves picket line to support the one-day strike of non-union Royal Hawaiian Hotel concierge workers

WHERE: Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian loading dock (Kalia Road and Helumoa Road)

WHEN: Friday, January 26, 2018| 3:00a – 6:00p

WHO:  Thousands of Local 5 members from the hospitality, healthcare, and food service industries in solidarity with Royal Hawaiian concierge workers on strike.

WHY: Concierge workers at the iconic Royal Hawaiian Hotel, owned by Japan-based Kyo-Ya Hotel and Resorts, are on strike to stand up for good, secure jobs that are being threatened by subcontracting.

On October 2017, Kyo-Ya announced that they will subcontract their concierge work to Pleasant Holidays, a tour activities company, starting February 1, 2018.

The 11 concierge workers who work at The Royal Hawaiian are non-union. Thousands of UNITE HERE Local 5 members who work at Kyo-Ya’s four Waikiki hotels (Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Waikiki, Westin Moana Surfrider, and Sheraton Princess Kaiulani) are honoring their picket line and not going to work. Many more Local 5 members from other union-represented workplaces will also be on the picket line in solidarity.

Local 5 has approved their picket line and Local 5 members are standing in solidarity with non-union concierge workers because subcontracting destroys our jobs, our families, and our communities.

The concierge workers are asking for their jobs to remain intact and in-house. They urge travelers and the community to join their picket lines at the Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Waikiki, Westin Moana Surfrider, and Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.

VISUALS: Thousands in red shirts picketing near the Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian loading dock, chanting with picket signs.

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.

# # #