The Honolulu Airport concession workers are on strike, shutting down virtually all food and beverage vendors at the airport during one of the busiest travel times of the year.
HMSHost is the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport’s primary concession operator. They’re responsible for all restaurants, bars, pantries, and maintenance departments at the airport. And, yes, that even includes all the Starbucks locations in the airport. So, with all 500 of the airport’s HMSHost employees on strike, all of those concessions are not operating.
Strike
The HMSHost employees have, apparently, been working without a contract since December 2018. So, in November, HMSHost employees, which are part of Unite Here Local 5, voted to strike. Yup, that’s the same union that shut down Marriott hotels around the country for months on end. And, like in that strike, the employees at the airport are demanding better pay, as well as full employer-paid medical. Of course, the mantra here, like with Marriott, is that one job should be enough.
In case you’re wondering exactly what concessions the strike is impacting, here’s a complete list:
- Aloha Cart
- Atrium Bar
- Burger King
- California Pizza Kitchen
- Central Beer Kiosk
- Chow Mein Express
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Electric Mobile Cart
- Gastro Pub Bar
- Grab n Go
- Island Brews
- Jose Cuervo Tequileria
- Lahaina Chicken Company
- Leahi Market Bar
- Makai Plantation
- Market Street Grill
- PGA Tour Grill
- Pinkberry
- Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill
- Shack 4 ‘Eva
- Snack Bar
- Starbucks
- Stinger Ray’s Tropical Bar & Grill
- The Local
- Umaizushi
What You Can Do
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t count on having any food or beverage options at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport for the time being. Instead, you might want to plan on bringing your own food from the outside. And, as far as water goes, bring a refillable and fill it after going through security. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, here’s a list of what foods you can bring through security: tsa.gov
Of course, if you have a Priority Pass membership (Chase Sapphire Reserve, etc.), you can grab some snacks at Hawaiian Air’s Plumeria Lounge. And for Amex Platinum cardholders flying Delta, you can get something to eat the wonderful Sky Club.
Honolulu Airport Concession Workers Are on Strike, Final Thoughts
Living in Hawaii, I get it. Life here is hard. Trying to make a living here is not easy at all. But, come one. To demand a “liveable wage” off of an entry-level job that requires no education or skill? I don’t think that’s entirely reasonable. And while HMSHost can pay its employees more and not raise prices, I don’t think that’s likely. So, if their employees do receive a significant pay bump, we’ll likely see an increase in the already exorbitant airport concession prices. And if that happens, it’s entirely likely that people will patronize them less, which can cause more job security issues in the future.