Union lodges more unfair-labor charges against Kyo-ya hotels

Unite Here Local 5, the union representing 2,700 striking hotel workers on Oahu and Maui, accused Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts on Thursday of more unfair labor practices at its Marriott-managed hotels.

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

Now there’s another spat. The union believes its members have a federally protected right to pass out informational leaflets about the strike to hotel guests in the porte-cochere.

Kyo-ya did not respond to a request for comment Thursday, but the company obviously disagrees with the union’s assessment.

On Tuesday, Sheraton Maui banned three striking workers from the hotel for one year with the threat of arrest if they returned. Following that action, the union filed National Labor Relations Board charges against Sheraton Maui.

On Thursday the union filed charges at the Oahu hotels where its workers are striking. They claim two more strikers, who work at the Sheraton Waikiki, also were banned. Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Moana Surfrider were included in the complaint because the union claims workers were told that they couldn’t pass out leaflets in the porte-cochere of these properties.

The union said it is meeting with Marriott this week. However, Kyo-ya has not scheduled local negotiations.

The union is showing its ire by holding another rally Saturday in Waikiki to coincide with the Honolulu Pride Parade, which it participates in annually. During a 1,000-person march Oct. 12 in Waikiki, the union took to the beach, where it stood in front of visitors, yelling, “Don’t check in. Check out.”