FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 23, 2024

HONOLULU, HI – Nearly 1,000 workers picketed five hotel properties in Waikiki, Hotel workers with UNITE HERE Local 5 today announced plans to hold a strike vote to authorize a strike. The strike vote will be held on Thursday, August 8 and if workers vote to authorize a strike, Workers say they are asking for higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and guarantees against cuts to guest amenities.

“I’m voting yes to strike because by the time that I come home from work, I’m so exhausted from taking care of guests all day that I’m too exhausted to take care of my own family,” said Wendy Perez, Guest Service Agent at the Waikiki Beach Marriott. “We need staffing that ensures fair workloads and quality service.”

On June 30^th, contracts at 10 Hawai‘i hotels expired covering over 4,800 workers represented by Local 5 on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, and Maui. Bargaining began in April between Local 5 and Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, LP, and Marriott International, Inc.

Workers have outlined four major bargaining priorities:

1. One Job Should Be Enough – Wages to get ahead
2. Enough money to maintain their benefits
3. A meaningful way to deal with staffing and workload issues
4. Worker protections and respect

A recent survey of nearly 4,000 Local 5 workers, found that 76% could not afford an unexpected bill of $500. The same survey found that 78% of workers believe their employers took advantage of the pandemic to cut payroll and make changes not beneficial to workers.

“We’re tired of showing up every day feeling under-appreciated & overworked.  We love our jobs & our guests, but enough is enough.  We’re prepared to do what it takes to save our industry and ensure that Hawai’i remains a premier tourist destination for generations to come,” said Cade Watanabe, Financial Secretary-Treasurer. “After months of negotiations, we’re still too far apart on the issues that matter to hotel workers and their families – like wages that actually cover the rising cost of living and a meaningful process for addressing ongoing staffing & workload concerns that we believe are essential to restoring the quality of service and guest experience our island visitors have come to expect.”

Workers in Hawai‘i are joining thousands of other UNITE HERE hotel workers in cities across the U.S. in Canada as bargaining continues with major hotel brands including Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott. Hotel workers across the U.S. and Canada say they are fed up with heavy workloads, reduced hours, and pay that’s not enough to cover the cost of living.

From 2019 to 2022, the U.S. hotel industry’s gross operating profit increased by 26.63%, while hotel staffing per occupied room decreased by 13%. In Hawai‘i, Revenue per Available Room increased by 23% and average daily rate of a hotel room increased by 33% in 2023 compared to 2019. Meanwhile, many hotels have kept COVID-era service cuts in place including shuttering VIP lounges, reducing and in many cases removing food and beverage options like in-room dining, and more.

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