Union files unfair labor charges

Unite Here Local 5 has filed eight federal unfair labor practice charges against Aston Waikiki Beach and Hotel Renew on behalf of non-union workers who have been trying to organize.

According to Local 5, hotel managers treated workers poorly after they sought union representation in February. The charges allege that the two hotels, both managed by Aston Hotels & Resorts, violated federal law with an aggressive anti-union campaign that included threats, interrogation, and surveillance. 

Kelvin Bloom, president of Vacation Holdings Hawaii, said the hotels are currently working with the National Labor Relations Board to resolve the charges. 

“As this is a pending matter, we cannot discuss the matter further other than to say that most of the charges relate to our former employee handbook policies and some miscommunications between employees that have since been corrected,” Bloom said. 

 But Elpidio Sera, an employee in the housekeeping department at Aston Waikiki Beach, said the hotel bullied workers. 

 “One of my supervisors told me, ‘You’re already old and supposed to retire. Don’t sign [in support of a fair process].’ And after I joined a rally in support of the union, another supervisor told me she could write me up for going,”Sera said. “This makes me not want to come into work because they’re bullying and intimidating me.”

 Tino Fabro, who also works in the Aston Waikiki Beach housekeeping department, said employees felt threatened after an unfair labor practice charge was filed against the housekeeping supervisor.

“She said to us during one of our morning briefings, ‘You guys wrote me up. Now I’m going to write you guys up.’ Then she specifically called out two coworkers and me. She was speaking much louder than usual,: Fabro said. 

Bloom said the current dispute came after Aston’s refusal to agree to Local 5’s demand that Aston waive its team members’ right to decide for themselves in a secret ballot election conducted by the NLRB. 

“Aston has a unique business model based on its non-union status that has provided consistent work opportunity and benefits to its many employees through good times and difficult times without any involvement by Local 5,” he said. 

Local 5 represents approximately 10,000 workers throughout Hawaii who work in the hospitality, health care and food service industries. The Aston Waikiki Beach and Hotel Renew employ 160 and 25 workers, respectively.