As threatened recently, Unite Here! Local 5 members staged a 3-day strike at Hawai’i hotels. This limited strike action is an interesting change in strategy for the union and was coordinated with other units throughout the country. It also likely serves as a warning to hotel operators of things to come.
Hotel workers in Hawai’i (and, apparently, across the nation) are in the midst of contract negotiations. Impacted workers in Hawai’i have been working without a contract since July, recently voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike, and warned that a strike was imminent. As it turns out, the weren’t kidding, as they are currently in a 3-day strike at Hawai’i hotels. Sure, this wasn’t what most of us were thinking when we heard a strike was coming, but don’t count out a longer strike in the near future.
3-Day Strike at Hawai’i Hotels
At 4 man on Sunday, September 1, 2024, members of Unite Here! Local 5 walked off the job as they commenced a 3-day strike at Hawai’i hotels. As previously covered, eight hotels on O’ahu and Kaua’i are affected by the strike action, including:
- Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort
- Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort &Spa
- Moana Surfrider — a Westin Resort Spa
- The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort
- Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
- Sheraton Waikiki
- Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort &Spa.
- Sheraton Kaua’i Resort
In all, five thousand hotel employees walked off the job this past Sunday, though they weren’t alone. Apparently, over 5,000 other hotel works across the country at 25 other hotels went on strike, too. The affected hotels included those under the Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott brands in places like San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, Seattle, and Greenwich, Conn.
Union representatives told local media that “today’s action demonstrates our deep commitment to these islands we all call home, to our guests who deserve nothing less than to experience our ‘aloha’ so they keep coming back, and to our families – we need tourism to work for us locals and not just our mainland bosses.” They also say that “the top concerns they have raised including wages that keep up with inflation and the cost of living, proper staffing and fair workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era cuts in guest services.”
I appreciate their concerns and struggles, and respect their right to strike, but I also take issue with some of what they say. If they care for their guests so much, why begin striking at 4 am? Why yell through bullhorns and make other noises at these early morning hours, not only outside of their own properties, but outside of other non-affected properties, too? Do you really care about the guests if that’s what you’re doing? I don’t think so.
Moreover, I don’t know enough to know if staffing shortages from involuntary reductions is a real issue, but I do know that consumer preference has changed over time. More and more, it seems like people have similar preferences to mine, which is to not have any housekeeping at all on shorter stays, and only sporadic service on longer ones. If this sentiment has become as widespread as I think it has, then, perhaps, the workforce reductions are warranted, no? But, it seems as if the housekeeping issue is the hill these folks are willing to die on.
Final Thoughts
If you’re wondering, the 3-day strike at Hawai’i hotels isn’t exactly so. Union officials in Hawai’i state that they plan to go back to work at 12:01 am on September 4. That’s a bit more than three days, but, whatever. We do know that this action was planned to cause the most disruption, as it occurred over the long weekend. And I’m sure this won’t be the last of such actions we see, especially since union officials say they’re so far apart on their negotiations. So, again, if you have any upcoming stays at any of these properties, maybe reconsider and stay elsewhere.