By Frank Cho
Advertiser Staff Writer
The international president of Hawai‘i’s biggest hotel workers’ union has decided to take control of the union’s local chapter, suspend its executive board and remove embattled union secretary-treasurer Eric Gill.
 |
| Eric Gill hails the move as beneficial. |
Turmoil within the Hawaii Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union Local 5, between supporters of Gill and former secretary-treasurer Tony Rutledge, led to the decision by the Washington, D.C.-based union to put Local 5 under trusteeship.
Sherri Chiesa, the international’s western regional director, was scheduled to arrive this morning at Local 5’s Ala Wai Boulevard headquarters with a letter from international president John Wilhelm naming her as trustee, union officials told The Advertiser last night.
"She is not going to fire everybody," Ron Richardson, executive vice president with the international headquarters, said last night of Chiesa’s appointment as trustee for Local 5.
Richardson said Chiesa will bring some staff with her, but plans to hire local officials to help her run the 11,000-member local while she tries to settle outstanding contracts covering thousands of workers.
This is the first time the union has been put under a trustee since 1978, when Rutledge’s father, Arthur, battled with labor leader Richard Tam for control of the local.
The move comes after a closed-door union hearing last week in which national union officials said they recommended a trusteeship for the local union — a move that probably would cost local union leader Gill and his 14-member executive board their jobs.
"There has been gridlock in Local 5 to the point where the union has not been able to function," Richardson said.
Gill, who was at his union office last night taking care of administrative matters, said he was not surprised by the decision to place the union in trusteeship.
"We all agreed that the continual disruption of union activities because of the executive board undermined the ability of the union to negotiate the primary hotel contracts," Gill said.
Gill beat Rutledge last year in a close and bitterly fought election for the top Local 5 job. The two labor leaders have been at odds in the past, but feuding between Gill and Rutledge supporters on the Local 5 board escalated in recent months. In October, Rutledge supporters asked the international union to step in and appoint a trustee, accusing Gill of breaking union bylaws.
Rutledge could not be reached for comment last night.
The move today comes after the international union held a closed-door hearing Tuesday at the Hawai‘i Convention Center to investigate charges that a political battle between Gill and Rutledge supporters on Local 5’s executive board prevented the settlement of several labor agreements — leaving thousands of Local 5 members working without a current contract.
Gill had earlier opposed putting the union into trusteeship, but changed his mind after meeting with international union officials. In Tuesday’s closed-door hearing, he told union officials that the influence of a trustee would be good for the membership.
"Had allegations been made that I had done something wrong, then I would have fought them. I welcome the participation of the international union because I believe it will result in a better contract for our membership," Gill said last night.
After the hearing last week, which lasted barely an hour, international union officials recommended to Wilhelm that he put Local 5 into trusteeship.
"What we found is that there is gridlock. It just isn’t right," Richardson said. "We are concerned about the membership and that their contracts are not being settled."
Chiesa’s first order of business will be to negotiate a settlement to Local 5’s outstanding contracts, Richardson said. Local 5 is still trying to reach agreement with some of Hawai‘i’s largest hotels, including the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Royal Hawaiian and the Kahala Mandarin Oriental, covering about 8,000 union workers.
As soon as those are settled, Richardson said, Local 5 will hold new elections for secretary-treasurer and its executive board.
Rutledge has indicated he plans to run again, as does Gill.
"Certainly. I have always had a vision of a better and stronger, more democratic union and we have never had a chance to achieve that because of some of our board members," Gill said.
If he is not asked to stay on, Gill said last night, he plans to return to his job as a kitchen steward at the Hilton Hawaiian Village until new elections are held.
In addition to removing the top elected leadership of the 10,000-member union, one of Chiesa’s first moves will be to suspend the union’s bylaws, which Gill has blamed for some of his problems with the board.
"I would hope in the next election that the members will elect an administration and an executive board that will be able to work together," Gill said.
Frank Cho can be reached by phone at 525-8088; or by e-mail, fcho@honoluluadvertiser.com.
[back to top] |
