honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, August 14, 2002

Local 5 authorizes strike

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

Unionized workers from the Hilton Hawaiian Village and the four Sheraton Waikiki hotels yesterday voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, giving union negotiators extra leverage in contract talks that have been under way since April.

Of the 2,546 members of the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Local 5 who cast a ballot yesterday, 2,045, or 80 percent, voted to authorize a strike. The turnout represented 67 percent of the nearly 4,000 union members at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Sheraton Waikiki, the Princess Ka'iulani, the Sheraton Moana Surfrider and the Royal Hawaiian.

Other members of Local 5 at the Hyatt Regency, the Renaissance Ilikai and Ala Moana hotels, yesterday pledged $5 a week to the union's strike/hardship fund and to picket for five hours a week if a strike occurs.

Yesterday's vote does not mean there will be a strike, but authorizes union officials to call for one if contract talks break down.

A spokesman for Hilton declined comment yesterday. Officials from the Sheraton hotels did not respond to requests for interviews.

Eric Gill, Local 5 secretary-treasurer, said last night that he was pleased with the vote. He said he hopes this will send a message to management when negotiations resume on Aug. 22.

"We are pleased with the fact that despite management's intense vote-no campaign ... our members saw through that and voted in overwhelming numbers to authorize to proceed," Gill said.

Analysts have said a strike would be particularly harmful to tourism, Hawai'i's No. 1 industry, during the traditionally slow fall season. Troubles in the stock market and the anniversary of Sept. 11 also could slow down the industry, analysts say.

Several hotel workers said yesterday they went to the Hawai'i Convention Center to authorize a strike because they are concerned about job security and equal benefits for new employees, rather than increased wages.

They said they were particularly upset that talks have bogged down over strengthening contract language that would assure them jobs if their hotels are sold.

"We're not trying to nickel and dime the company," said Ilia Patlidzanou, a 32-year-old waiter at the Princess Ka'iulani. "And we don't care if they sell the hotel to someone else. We just want to make sure that we have a job five years, 10 years down the line."

Staff writer Curtis Lum contributed to this report.