Posted at 11:09 a.m., Thursday, March 29, 2007
Hotel workers to rally in front of Ala Moana condotel
Advertiser Staff
Hawai'i hotel workers from Local 5 union will rally from 4 to 5:30 p.m. today in front of the Ala Moana condotel in advance of contract negotiations between the union and hotel management.Union spokesman Cade Watanabe this morning said officials from UniteHere! Local 5 met with Outrigger Resorts' officials last week for informal talks about the union contract that expired in May 2006.
Crescent Heights had purchased the property and converted it to a combination condominium/hotel. Outrigger took over hotel management this month.
Watanabe said with Ala Moana's new management team in place, hotel workers are preparing for contract negotiations. He said that property lags in wages since is was owned and operated by Azabu.
He said the union hopes the rally will call attention to the need for a new contract with higher wages. Watanabe expects participants will include not just many of the 300 workers from Ala Moana but also hotel workers from other properties.
"We think it is time that Ala Moana workers receive their fair share," Watanabe said, noting that pay disparity differs from job to job. But he said that housekeepers wages have lagged by at least $1 an hour.
The union remains hopeful that negotiations will go smoothly. "We are definitely in communication but there's no date set," he said. "We hope to get a contract without having to resort to major labor action or dispute."
