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Local 5 endorses Kim Coco Iwamoto for Lieutenant Governor

Honolulu, Hi. – Progressive candidate for Lieutenant Governor Kim Coco Iwamoto was endorsed today by the union representing 11,000 Hawaii hospitality, health and food service industry workers.

“We are happy to endorse Kim Coco Iwamoto for Lieutenant Governor,” said Eric Gill, Financial-Secretary Treasurer of UNITE Here, Local 5. “She has been a staunch ally of Local 5 for over a decade and is an enthusiastic supporter of our One Job Should Be Enough campaign. Like us, she believes that one job should be enough to live in Hawaii, to provide for our families, and to retire with dignity. We know that she will turn the Lieutenant Governor’s Office into the People’s Office. She has demonstrated that in her unwavering commitment to equal rights and inclusivity, both in and out of the workplace.”

The endorsement comes on the heels of the latest media poll showing Kim Coco surging with the primary election less than two months away on Aug. 11.

The former Board of Education member thanked an enthusiastic crowd at Local 5 headquarters.

“In an age when labor unions are under assault from legislatures imposing right to work laws, from the looming JANUS decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, to local threats of illegal vacation rentals and privatization, it is truly inspiring to see the work Local 5 is doing with its members and the community to fight back,” Kim Coco said.

An attorney and former member of the Civil Rights Commission, Kim Coco has been honored by the Obama White House as a Champion of Change. She’s the only candidate in the race for Lieutenant Governor calling for the state’s minimum wage to be raised to $22 an hour.

Kim Coco applauded Local 5’s AIKEA campaign including efforts to help the tens of thousands of workers in high priced Hawaii forced to work multiple jobs in order to make ends meet.

“Local 5 is building a movement beyond the needs of their members and going out into their communities,” she said. “They’re knocking on doors, training grassroots organizers, doing the work all labor unions once did. And they’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do. We look forward to working with them to reclaim our democracy. Together we can.”

Hawaii’s largest Citizenship Workshop will help nearly 150 immigrants become U.S. citizens

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 23, 2018

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

Hawaii’s largest Citizenship Workshop will help nearly 150 immigrants become U.S. citizens

Immigration advocates, volunteers organize Citizenship Workshop in response to DACA expiration

Honolulu, HI – Immigration attorneys, elected officials, and community organizations are joining UNITE HERE Local 5 in organizing a Citizenship Workshop to provide one-on-one assistance for nearly 150 legal permanent residents who want to apply for U.S. citizenship.

The Citizenship Workshop will take place on Saturday, March 3 from 8:00am – 4:00pm at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center (777 Ward Ave, Honolulu, HI 96814). The response from Hawaii’s immigrant community was so enthusiastic that organizers had to close registration early. Around 55,000 legal permanent residents live in Hawai’i.

The response from the broader community has been just as supportive—almost 200 people are signed up to volunteer at the Citizenship Workshop.

“The Citizenship Workshop was organized in response to the expiration of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on March 5. We’re responding to all of the anti-immigration policies and rhetoric by helping nearly 150 immigrants become U.S. citizens,” says Paola Rodelas, a community organizer at UNITE HERE Local 5 who is co-organizing the workshop.

“The fact that so many immigrants and so many volunteers have signed up for this Citizenship Workshop shows where Hawai’i stands on immigration. Hawai’i was built on the backs of immigrants and continues to thrive because of our immigrant community. We stand with our immigrant communities and we support immigration reform,” says Amy Agbayani, former Chair of the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission who is also co-organizing the workshop.

Lourdes Maquera, a housekeeper at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and her eldest daughter will be attending the Citizenship Workshop. “As a housekeeper in Hawaii’s number one industry, I am part of the backbone of Hawaii’s economy. As a single mother of three, my family depends on me. I am proud of the work I do and what I contribute to our community. I am so happy that this workshop will help my whole family become U.S. citizens so that we can continue to live here and thrive here,” says Lourdes.

The Citizenship Workshop is co-sponsored by Mayor Kirk Caldwell and the City and County of Honolulu, Catholic Diocese Office for Social Ministry, Hawai’i Coalition for Civil Rights, Hawaii Chapter: American Immigration Lawyers Association, Hawai’i J20, Hawai’i Peace and Justice, Hawai’i Friends of Civil Rights, and Pacific Gateway Center.

“The strength and foundation of our community is rooted in our history of immigration and our stories of struggle,” said Mayor Caldwell. “Now more than ever, we need to collectively stand up and support Hawai‘i’s immigrant families. We are happy to join Local 5 in addressing this important issue.”

Workshop organizers hope that this will be the first of many citizenship workshops. They also plan on reaching out to workshop attendees who become U.S. citizens about registering to vote.

**Note to media: Spokespersons will be available for interviews at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 3 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center. We ask that members of the media be sensitive regarding the identity of people attending the Citizenship Workshop. There is a lot of fear in the immigrant community, and we would like to create as safe a space as possible. We request that you interview our designated spokespersons, rather than workshop attendees who may want to maintain their anonymity. We ask that you do not film or photograph the faces of workshop attendees unless you have their explicit permission. Thank you.

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.

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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.

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PRESS RELEASE: Concierge workers warn travelers of possible strike at Kyo-Ya’s Waikiki hotels

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

Concierge workers warn travelers of possible strike at Kyo-Ya’s Waikiki hotels

If the concierge workers strike, thousands of UNITE HERE Local 5 members at Kyo-Ya’s Waikiki hotels will honor their picket line

Honolulu, HI – Concierge workers at the iconic Royal Hawaiian Hotel, owned by Japan-based Kyo-Ya Hotel and Resorts, are warning travelers and those who have business at Kyo-Ya’s Waikiki hotels that they could be affected by a possible strike to stand up for good, secure jobs that are being threatened by subcontracting.

The 11 concierge workers who work at The Royal Hawaiian are non-union. But if they do go on strike, 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) will honor their picket line and not go to work. Many more Local 5 members from other union-represented properties will also be on the picket line in solidarity.

On October 3, 2017, a group of concierge workers asked Kyo-Ya for a fair process to decide whether to unionize. A few weeks later, Kyo-Ya announced that they will subcontract their concierge work to Pleasant Holidays, a tour activities company, starting February 1, 2018. Concierge workers were given a choice to work for the subcontractor or take severance and leave.

“Our members have chosen to stand in solidarity with the non-union concierge workers because subcontracting destroys our jobs, our families, and our communities. Our union contracts are expiring this summer. Local 5 members are proud of the good wages, benefits, and job security that we have fought for over the years. Subcontracting is a top concern for our members because it takes away our good, secure jobs,” says Gemma Weinstein, President of Local 5.

“I have worked at The Royal Hawaiian for 31 years, and I have always looked forward to welcoming our valued guests back who are accustomed to our luxury level and personalized Concierge services. We have always been proud to be part of the Kyo-Ya family and are shocked and disappointed to find out that Kyo-Ya has decided to replace our entire Concierge staff with an outsourced Activity Desk. Our return guests have come to expect personalized recommendations, not those driven by profit and commissions,” says Wendy Nagaishi, a Royal Hawaiian concierge.

The concierge workers are asking for their jobs to remain intact and in-house. If their demands are not met, the workers warn tourists and the community that they will go on strike. They urge travelers and the community to not cross their picket lines at the Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Waikiki, Westin Moana Surfrider, and Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.

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.

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Local 5 gains 105 new members as Hilton Garden Inn workers ratify first union contract

UNITE HERE! Local 5
Press Release
For Immediate Release
March 23, 2017

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

Local 5 gains 105 new members as Hilton Garden Inn workers ratify first union contract

The deal will improve healthcare, workload, and more

Honolulu (Mhilton-garden-inn-workers-ratify-union-contractarch 23, 2017) – 105 workers at the Hilton Garden Inn, newly represented by UNITE HERE! Local 5, ratified their first union contract with a 97% vote. The new 5-year contract will guarantee wage increases, full family medical coverage, a pension, and more.

“Many of my coworkers with children struggle with paying for family medical coverage. My new union contract is going to give all of us full family medical. Living in Hawaii is not easy. We can put that savings toward other important things in our lives, like rent or childcare,” says Mason Kia, a guest service agent at the Hilton Garden Inn.

The contract also makes improvements to housekeeping workload; 79% of Hilton Garden Inn housekeepers surveyed experience daily body pain while at work and 67% take medications for their body pain. The new contract is also the first with language that allows housekeepers to drop a room from their daily quota if they are assigned to clean a room occupied by four or more guests.

“Cleaning a room where several guests stayed is hard work,” says Cecile Daniels, a Hilton Garden Inn housekeeper, “Usually it means there was a family staying there or there was a hotel party. It takes a lot longer to clean than normal. Our new union contract is going to make our workplace a lot safer for us.”

90% of Hilton Garden Inn workers voted to join Local 5 on January 16, 2017. Contract negotiations began in February, and the settlement was reached on March 15 after a 19-hour bargaining session.

“The fact that we ratified this union contract so quickly is a testament to the unity and solidarity that these workers displayed,” says Eric Gill, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 5, “When people come together, we win.”

Local 5 represents approximately 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.

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Local 5 workers at Hale Nani reach tentative agreement

IMG_1901Local 5 workers at Hale Nani Rehabilitation and Nursing Center reached a tentative agreement with the company on Friday, July 15th.

The new deal addresses concerns about staffing and comes with an 8% increase in pay over three years, increased sick leave benefits, higher night shift premiums and a fairer absenteeism policy to name a few of the improvements.

It also resolved some of the unfair labor practices the Union filed against the company which led to a 3-day strike, including securing back pay for workers sent home after being denied the right to wear a union shirt on casual dress days.

“We are proud of what we accomplished by being united and strong as a union. We are looking forward to starting a new a relationship with our employer that will benefit our residents and make Hale Nani the best it can be,” says Louie Bernardo, Restorative Nursing Aide.

Workers will vote to ratify the agreement on Tuesday, July 26.