‘The River’ drowns in television ratings

ABC’s new paranormal drama "The River" may have scared viewers away — or maybe viewers had other things to do on Valentine’s Day — but whatever the reason, the series slipped significantly in the ratings war Tuesday, according to Nielsen figures released Wednesday by the network.

"The River," for which all but one of eight episodes were shot last fall in Hawaii, drew 4.98 million viewers. Last week, when the series debuted with back-to-back episodes, it averaged 7.59 million viewers over the course of the two hours.

"NCIS: Los Angeles" won the hour (8-9 p.m. in Hawaii) with 16 million viewers.

Among adults 18-49, "The River" also slipped, drawing 1.7 percent of the total viewing audience and 4 percent of those watching TV at the time. The series is set in the Amazon but uses Hawaii, specifically Kahana Valley, as a backdrop for the jungle. It airs at 8 p.m. Tuesdays on KITV.

Japanese unionists join hotel protest

An 11-member delegation of Japanese trade unionists joined Pacific Beach Hotel workers at a protest on Wednesday regarding an ongoing labor dispute at the Waikiki hotel.

Japanese unions have sent dozens of letters protesting work conditions at Pacific Beach Hotel to the property’s owner, HTH Corp., and its management team. The hotel and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 have been embroiled in a labor dispute since 2002, when the union first petitioned for recognition.

Labor representatives from Japan traveled to Hawaii in 2008 to support the ILWU after the hotel fired 32 workers who had been active with the union. At that time, HTH Corp. refused to accept a 65,000-signature petition from the Japanese coalition. This time around, the delegation will attempt to meet with HTH Corp. President John Hayashi.

"We will ask them to obey U.S. labor laws and treat workers fairly," said Hirohiko Takasu, project director of the Research and Education Center for Fair Labor at Hitotsubashi University and a steering committee member of Labor Now, a Japanese activist group that supports social justice issues.

FCC orders Hawaiian Tel to pay $16,000

Hawaiian Telcom has agreed to pay the Federal Communications Commission $16,000 for failing to get permission to transfer control of its interisland submarine cable during ownership changes at the company.

The cable originally was licensed to GTE HawaiianTelephone Co. in 1993. Control of the company changed hands several times between GTE’s ownership and the appointment of the current management team in 2008. The company failed twice during that period to record the transfer of the cable license, according to the FCC. In early 2011 Hawaiian Telcom applied for the required license transfer, which was subsequently approved by the FCC.

"We are glad to be resolving this issue and do not plan to appeal the FCC’s decision," said Hawaiian Telcom spokesman Scott Simon.

Workers reportedly reject final contract offer

Union workers at Tesoro Corp.’s Kapolei refinery rejected a final contract proposal as negotiations at four other refineries stalled over benefits language, two people with knowledge of the talks said.

United Steelworkers members at the 95,000-barrel-a-day plant voted to reject Tesoro’s "last, best and final" offer on a three-year contract, said the two people, who declined to be identified. Seventy-seven percent of the workers voted to reject the proposal, one of the people said Tuesday.

Seawater air-conditioning project advances

The developers of a project that will use cold ocean water to provide air conditioning for downtown Honolulu said Wednesday they have received approval for an easement to install underground piping in the Kakaako Makai area.

The easement was granted to Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning by the Hawaii Community Development Authority, which oversees development in the Kakaako area.

"We think this renewable energy project is a very innovative contribution not only to the development of the Kakaako area, but also for reducing the environmental footprint of the entire city of Honolulu," said Anthony Ching, executive director of HCDA.

Groundbreaking is expected in the first half of this year and construction is projected to be completed in 2013.

Ward’s holiday fundraisers cheer charities

Ward Centers helped to raise more than $175,180 for 135 local nonprofits during its Festival of Giving, a three-day shopping event held Nov. 4-6. Participating organizations sold $10 event tickets, which provided shoppers with exclusive discounts and special offers at Ward Centers.

Other holiday events at Ward Centers that aided nonprofits included Photos with Santa Paws, which raised about $5,000 for the Hawaiian Humane Society; Senior Giving Trees, which collected 511 gifts for seniors via Catholic Charities Hawaii; the Hono­lulu City Lights Trolley Tour, which raised $10,215 for the Hawaii Foodbank; and Ward Centers’ holiday gift-wrapping stations, which raised about $10,328 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Habitat for Humanity.

———

Pets find homes at dealership

Twenty-one dogs and two cats were adopted from the Hawaiian Humane Society at an Adopt-a-Pet event Sunday at McKenna’s Windward Ford in Kailua.

As with previous adoption events at the dealership, prospective owners acquaint themselves with the animals and the first to raise a hand for a particular dog or cat begins the adoption process.

Adoption fees are 50 percent off, or a total of $42.50 at the McKenna-sponsored events.

The dealership is a regular supporter of and donor to the society.

GM to freeze workers’ pensions

DETROIT » General Motors Co. plans to freeze its U.S. pension plan for longtime white-collar workers and give all salaried employees annual bonuses but not pay raises in an effort to hold down expenses, officials announced Wednesday.

The Detroit-based automaker said roughly 19,000 salaried workers hired before 2001 will move from a traditional pension with guaranteed payments to a 401(k)-type plan with contributions based on salary and bonuses.

Employees hired after 2001, who represent about 30 percent of the company’s salaried work force, already are in that defined contribution plan.

The changes take effect Oct. 1, and workers will keep all pension benefits they have already accrued, officials said.

GM also said it would offer bonuses to all 26,000 salaried employees and release the amounts when it announces quarterly and full-year earnings today.

The company is expected to post a 2011 net profit of around $8 billion — the best in its 103-year history.

ON THE MOVE

ProService Hawaii has promoted Heather Wiley to human resources consultant from implementation manager. She has been with the company since 2010 and started as an implementation consultant.

Hunt Companies has promoted Jessica Westbrooks to communications and marketing manager from business manager. Her responsibilities include facilitating business development efforts and implementing strategies to enhance the company’s overall reputation and visibility.

Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has announced that Cheryl Ann Vierra has joined the firm’s Leeward office. She has 20 years of real estate experience.

New York Life Insurance Co. has opened an office in Kahu­lui. The office is managed by Ed Fabre­gas, who relocated to Kahu­lui from Dallas in November. There are also two agents on staff, Suzie Lauricio and Mari­vil Fabre­gas.