Unite Here Local 5 workers at the Sheraton Kauai Resort have authorized a petition giving the union’s negotiating committee the power to call a strike.
The petition, signed by 91% of workers, comes one week after workers from seven of Waikiki’s major hotels voted for a similar measure.
Angelina Spence, a spokesperson for Local 5, said there are approximately 5,100 workers at the eight hotels. She said another 300 or so workers at the Sheraton Maui also are working toward authorizing a strike. A strike authorization by union members does not mean a strike will occur immediately; however, it gives the union’s negotiating committee authorization to call a strike at any time.
Local 5 said workers at the Sheraton Kauai Resort have been in negotiations with Marriott International Inc. since April and report that negotiations have been unsuccessful.
Raylene “Sissy” Pualani, guest service agent at Sheraton Kauai Resort, said in a statement, ““I’m ready to strike because I have had to work 12-hour shifts multiple days in a row because of under staffing. I have lost track of how many times I have asked management ‘When are we going to restore the staffing and service hours at the front desk to what it was before the pandemic?’ Four years later and that still has not happened.”
Bargaining goals for Sheraton Kauai’s 200 workers are similar to those in Waikiki. Union workers want wages that keep up with the cost of living. They also seek a reversal of COVID-19-era staffing cuts, and protections for union members who work in guest services and amenities.
Cade Watanabe, Local 5 financial-secretary treasurer, said in a statement, “We need proper staffing and tools to make sure that the future of hospitality in Hawaii is a bright one, and we deserve to be able to afford to be around to see that future.”
Marriott did not immediately respond to a request for a comment, but Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations-Americas, Hyatt, previously told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “Our purpose is to care for people so they can be their best.”
“Under recent collective bargaining agreements with Unite Here, Hyatt hotels continue to offer our eligible employees competitive wages and benefits, as well as comprehensive healthcare coverage,” D’Angelo said. “We look forward to continuing to negotiate a fair contract with Unite Here Local 5 and recognize the contributions of our employees.”
The Local 5 workers in Hawaii join thousands of Unite Here hotel workers in seven cities across the U.S. who have authorized strikes at various Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and Omni hotel properties. In 2023, Unite Here members won record contracts after rolling strikes at Los Angeles hotels and a 47-day strike at Detroit casinos.
Local 5 workers at the Ilikai Hotel went on a one-day strike March 8, which also happened to be International Women’s Day, before the union and hotel company reached a strike-ending agreement on the first new contract in more than five years.
Gov. Josh Green marched with some 1,500 Local 5 workers on May 1 when they rallied in Waikiki to kick-start the latest round of bargaining.
The last major Local 5 strike took place in 2018 and involved 2,700 workers at five Marriott-managed hotels. That strike ended after 51 days with the ratification of a contract that gives union members up to $6.13 an hour in pay and benefit increases over four years.
