Isle judge rules against online travel companies
Hawaii’s attorney general says a tax appeals court judge has ruled in favor of the state against nine popular travel sites.
Tax Appeal Court Judge Gary Chang entered his final judgment Thursday, saying the companies including Orbitz Worldwide Inc. and Expedia Inc. owe Hawaii an additional $25 million for statutory interest on tax penalties.
The attorney general says the nine companies now owe about $246 million in taxes, penalties and interest for unpaid taxes from 2000 to 2011.
The state says the ruling will generate $30 million in annual general excise tax collections for Hawaii if upheld. The state also says the companies took in more than $2.7 billion in revenue in Hawaii between 2000 and 2011.
The companies are based in states including Washington, Texas, Illinois and Connecticut.
Workers at Hyatt Regency ratify contract
Union workers at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa ended a three-year labor dispute earlier this week when they ratified a new five-year contract.
Some 292 Local 5 Unite Here workers unanimously supported the contract, which includes hourly wage increases, maintenance of family health benefits, pensions and increased job security.
"We are one union, and we did it because we weren’t afraid to fight together. I’m happy we have our job security and we can build a future for our families," said Maria Teresa Del Mundo, a housekeeper who has been working at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki for seven years.
According to Local 5, the contract returns some subcontracted jobs to the union, requires that the company keep a minimum number of staff in accounting and that subcontracted cleaning workers be paid union standards. Other contract provisions include improvements in the housekeeping workload, employer-provided bus transit passes, a requirement that the employer use union workers for construction or renovation projects in excess of $2,000 and a solidarity clause allowing union workers to take action at their own hotels if nonunion Hyatt hotels in other cities have not recognized the union or agreed by October 2015 to a fair process for employees to decide whether to have union representation.
Actor-writer to headline HTA conference
The Hawaii Tourism Authority’s annual tourism conference will be held Thursday and Aug. 23 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
"This is an exciting time for our visitor industry — we just came off of a record-breaking year, and the momentum has continued into the first quarter," said Mike McCartney, HTA president and CEO. "We look forward to coming together for this year’s conference and sharing our successes, initiatives and plans, as well as looking at how we can continue to ensure the sustainability of our tourism economy."
Andrew McCarthy, who starred in "Pretty in Pink," "St. Elmo’s Fire" and "Less Than Zero" and now is a best-selling writer who is also editor-at-large for National Geographic Traveler, will appear at the event. Also on the speakers list will be Brad DiFiore, managing partner of Ailevon Air Service Consulting; Suzanne Cook, senior adviser at the US Travel Association; Jason Pacheco, founder of BRIC Marketing Group; and Joseph Toy, president of Hospitality Advisors.
A $190 registration fee includes educational sessions, breakfasts, lunch and a reception. Group discounts are available. To register for this event, visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/tourismconference or call 489-7238.
Hawaii nursing homes among best in U.S.
Nursing homes in Hawaii are the fourth-highest ranked in the nation for overall quality, and the Aloha State is only one of 10 to receive an "A" grade.
In its first such state-by-state nursing home report card, Florida-based advocacy group Families for Better Care ranked Alaska the best, followed by Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Hawaii and Oregon.
Hawaii, Alaska and Maine scored superior grades in every staffing measure reviewed, the study noted.
Of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Texas came in last, preceded by Louisiana, Indiana, Oklahoma and Missouri.
Oil rises past $107 on strife in Mideast
NEW YORK » The price of oil has been inflated by turmoil and increasing violence in the Middle East, but ample global oil supplies are helping to keep the rise in check.
The price of U.S. benchmark oil rose 48 cents to $107.33 per barrel in afternoon trading Thursday. Brent crude, a benchmark used to price imported crude bought by many U.S. refineries, rose 91 cents to $111.11 per barrel.
The trouble spots right now are Egypt, which is under a state of emergency; Libya, where strikes at oil facilities have curtailed production; and Iraq, where a bomb attack halted oil flowing through an export pipeline. Analysts estimate that concerns about those countries have added $6 or more to the price of oil.
On the Move
Carlsmith Ball has announced two new partners of the firm:
>> Erika L.T. Lewis specializes in complex civil and commercial litigation with a focus on land use, tax, trust and maritime law.
>> Arsima A. Muller specializes in corporate and business transactions and litigation and alternative dispute resolution.
Hawaiian Building Maintenance has named John White director of maintenance operations. He has more than 25 years of experience and was previously director of safety and training for HBM.
