Vote on hotel deals to proceed

By Frank Cho
Advertiser Staff Writer

The union representing thousands of Hawai'i hotel workers said it will go ahead with a vote tomorrow to ratify labor agreements with five Waikiki hotels.

About 4,000 workers of Local 5 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union will vote to ratify four-year contracts with Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort & Spa and four Sheraton properties — the Sheraton Waikiki, Princess Ka'iulani, Moana Surfrider and Royal Hawaiian hotels.

Earlier this month the union had said it was considering delaying a contract ratification vote until two more Waikiki hotels responded to the union's contract proposals. The union had hoped to have responses from the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa and the Renaissance 'Ilikai Waikiki Hotel so members could vote on all of the contracts on one day.

But officials said yesterday that no contract deals have been reached with those hotels and the ratification vote for the Hilton and Sheraton properties' contracts will be held tomorrow at Blaisdell Center.

"We will probably be able to release the results sometime Friday evening," said Jason Ward, a spokesman for Local 5.

Alan Cambra, general manager for the 'Ilikai, said he is still trying to get a copy of the Sheraton contract to review. The Hyatt Regency's manager, Frank Lavey, was out of town and unavailable for comment yesterday.

Local 5 and Sheraton management reached an agreement on a new contract Sept. 9. The union reached its agreement with Hilton the following day.

Reach Frank Cho at 525-8088 or fcho@honoluluadvertiser.com.