Unite Here Local 5 marks union’s longest running Hawaii hotel strike in nearly three decades

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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Ruth Miller, left, Elnora Kirk and Joseph Yllana held signs Wednesday in front of Honolulu Hale before the Honolulu City Council’s Zoning and Housing Committee hearing on luxury condo-hotel Sky Ala Moana. Local 5 is opposing the project because it contends the developer should do more for affordable housing.

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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Hotel workers held signs Wednesday in front of Honolulu Hale on the corner of Punchbowl Street and King Street on day 31 of the Marriott-managed, Kyo-ya-owned hotels strike to call on Honolulu City Council and developers to build more affordable housing for working people. The demonstration took place prior to the Honolulu City Council’s Zoning and Housing Committee hearing on luxury condo-hotel Sky Ala Moana.

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The Unite Here Local 5 hotel workers strike, which has become the union’s longest running Hawaii hotel strike in nearly three decades, is now a month old.

Workers marked the 31st day of their strike Wednesday by picketing in front of Honolulu Hale.

The strike began Oct. 8 when negotiations between Local 5 and Kyo-ya, which owns the Marriott-managed Sheraton Waikiki, Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Westin Moana Surfrider, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani and Sheraton Maui, reached an impasse.

Local 5, which represents 2,700 striking hotel workers in Hawaii, and Kyo-ya Hotels &Resorts were at the bargaining table on Saturday but emerged without a new contract.

Representatives from the local unit also are bargaining with Marriott, which manages the Kyo-ya hotels. Bargaining will resume today and Friday.

Kyo-ya and Marriott declined to provide updates.

Local 5 members picketing at Honolulu Hale on Wednesday also called for the developer of two proposed residential towers on Kapiolani Boulevard, known as Sky Ala Moana, to make more of its units affordable.