Members of the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific picket outside the Young Brothers facility at Pier 40 today after going on strike. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

The seamen, all members of the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific, walked picket lines beginning at 4:30 a.m. today in front of Young Brothers and Hawaiian Tug & Barge, affecting commercial sea traffic throughout the islands, company officials said.

The state’s largest produce distributor said today the strike will have an immediate effect on the Neighbor Islands.

Talks between union and company officials broke off at 10 last night. No new talks were scheduled this morning, but federal mediator Ken Kawamoto was talking to both sides today.

The talks broke down over the issue of accrued time off, which company officials said is equivalent to paid vacation.

The union did not elaborate on how far apart both sides are on accrued time off. Union spokesman George Taniguchi, who works as a chief mate, said today that union negotiators did not ask for any salary increases.

Jonathon Lono Kane, regional director for the Inlandboatmen’s Union, said the tugboat seamen work long hours in busy harbors and work daily with some of the largest ships in the world.

"Our members are out at sea on the tugboats for up to three days straight and are on duty 24 hours a day," Kane said. "Eight hours later, they load and go out again. The accrued time off ratio is an issue of health and safety and this is the message we tried unsuccessfully to convey to management."

Bill Chung, a member of the management negotiating team, said the average union employee earns 97.5 days of vacation a year, including accrued time off. The union’s demand for more accrued time off was "unreasonable and more than the company was willing to agree to," Chung said. "We had proposed a 50 percent increase in time off and that was insufficient."

The two companies operate a fleet of 13 tugs and 10 barges. Hawaiian Tug & Barge provides towing and ship assistance and Young Brothers provides interisland cargo service.

The absence of tugboat assistance meant that Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Pride of Aloha had to settle into a berth at Kaua'i’s Nawiliwili Harbor unassisted. It normally requires docking assistance from Hawaiian Tug & Barge in Kaua'i, said Scott Ishikawa, state transportation spokesman.

"Because the weather conditions were sufficient, harbor officials decided to let them come in on their own," Ishikawa said. "It has thruster and can maneuver to the dock. The weather was the factor."

The cruise ship was scheduled to leave at 1 p.m. today for a cruise along Kaua'i’s Napali Coast and then arrive in Honolulu Harbor tomorrow at 7 a.m.

The SS Great Land, owned and operated by Matson Navigation Co., was scheduled to berth at Kahului Harbor this morning but could not because of the strike, said Matson spokesman Jeff Hull.

Matson operates container ships between the West Coast and Hawaiçi harbors and also uses three local barges owned by Sause Brothers. Matson hoped a Sause tug on its way to Kahului today would be able to bring the Great Land into port this afternoon, Hull said.

"There is a chance we could get tug assistance," Hull said. "There is no final word on that. It has not been turned back. That is an option. If it does turn around, it will come back to Honolulu."

Laurence Vogel, president and CEO of grocery supplier Y. Hata & Co. Ltd., described the mood this morning as "high anxiety" before an 11 a.m. meeting to discuss "how we're going to overcome this challenge." His options are limited. "Air, air and air," he said.

Vogel said the company has shipments tied up at the dock or en route to the Neighbor Islands.

Mark Teruya, president of Armstrong Produce Ltd., the state’s largest produce distributor, said the strike will have an immediate effect on the Neighbor Islands. Oçahu is pretty self-sufficient as far as local produce goes but the Neighbor Islands should start feeling the impact from tomorrow, and it’s a long weekend, said Teruya.

Armstrong Produce vice president Calvin Shigemura said the company has more than 50 tubs, each containing 1,100 pounds of watermelon from Kunia, in their warehouse that were ordered by Neighbor Island customers for the Fourth of July weekend. Another concern is bringing in papayas from the Big Island to meet the demand on Oçahu, especially from visitors.

Matson can provide relief to the Neighbor Islands but cannot transport any locally produced products, said Shigemura.