A coalition of unions, community groups and elected officials is calling for the boycott of the Pacific Beach Hotel and Pagoda Hotel because of labor problems involving the hotels' owner.

Justice at the Beach has scheduled a press conference for this morning to ask the public to boycott the two properties owned and operated by HTH Corp. The coalition consists of unions, educators, churches, lawmakers and community groups, according to a statement released by the coalition.

Robert "Mick" Minicola, HTH regional vice president, said a boycott is "nothing new" because the union and some elected officials have been asking people to stay away from the two properties since August.

"There has been some reduction in business based on that and all it's accomplished is it's caused us to reduce work opportunity," Minicola said. "The employees here are the ones getting hurt from the boycotts."

HTH Corp. and its unionized workers have been embroiled in a labor dispute since employees began an effort to organize five years ago. Three years ago, the workers voted to be represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, but have yet to reach a contract agreement.

An affiliate of HTH Corp. resumed management of the 837-room Pacific Beach Hotel on Saturday, nearly a year after the owner turned over operations to an affiliate of Outrigger Hotels. All 435 workers were told in August they would be laid off, but would have the opportunity to reapply for work.

Forty-five union employees were not rehired and the ILWU said it was because of their union activity. The ILWU and HTH Corp. have filed unfair labor practice complaints against each other with the National Labor Relations Board.

The coalition wants the public to boycott the two properties "until Pacific Beach fully respects federal labor law and negotiates in good faith," the statement said.

Lance Kamada, mobilizing coordinator for the Pacific Beach Hotel employees, said a boycott is the last resort.

"It's the last thing we would like to get done because it has the potential to hurt everybody," Kamada said. "But at this point, the workers feel like they're being backed into a corner. The behavior of the hotel, we feel, is outrageous."

Minicola said he's disappointed with the union for pursuing the boycott because he said most of the Pacific Beach Hotel workers support management.

"The ILWU is really the odd man out," he said. "The ILWU has had multiple rallies and they've never been able to demonstrate the majority at these rallies. They've had a lot of people come to the rallies, but they were always less than 20 percent of the people who are actually employed who actually participated. If the union really is to be believed and we're really harming the employees as they say, people would be walking off the job. There would be strikes and that's not happening."

He said no talks have been scheduled with the union.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.