Waikiki Beach Marriott workers ratify union contract

For immediate release: December 21, 2018

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Paola Rodelas
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Waikiki Beach Marriott workers ratify union contract

The new agreement comes weeks after Marriott hotel workers ended a historic 51-day strike

(HONOLULU) – UNITE HERE Local 5 members who work at Waikiki Beach Marriott voted overwhelmingly today to ratify a union contract that covers nearly 500 workers.

The contract is modeled after the contract agreement that was reached on November 27 with Kyo-ya, which owns five Marriott-operated hotels that went on strike for 51 days with the demand that one job should be enough to live in Hawaii.

Waikiki Beach Marriott workers also authorized a strike on September 10, but did not go on strike when nearly 2,700 Kyo-ya workers began striking on October 8. But Waikiki Beach Marriott workers supported Kyo-ya workers by walking the picket lines, volunteering at the strike center, donating to the strike fund, and more.

The new union contract includes job security; reductions in subcontracting of staff positions; worker involvement in the implementation of new technology and automation; a child/elder care fund; a reduction in workload for housekeepers; an increase in wages, an increase in pension contributions; and an increase in health and welfare contributions.

“This vote shows that we’re united in our belief that one job should be enough to live in Hawaii. We want to thank the Kyo-ya strikers for fighting for all of Hawaii’s workers and for showing us that through the union, we can make our ‘One Job’ campaign a reality. This is a victory that will impact not just us, but the whole community,” says Chester Corpuz, a Waikiki Beach Marriott housekeeper.

Collective bargaining agreements at 20 Local 5 hotels expired in 2018. With six union contracts settled and 14 more hotel contracts remaining, the “One Job Should Be Enough” campaign continues. Local 5 now turns its attention to making one job enough for other hotel workers, other Local 5 members who work in healthcare and food service, and the broader community of working people.

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UNITE HERE 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 270,000 workers throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.unitehere5.org.