Bargaining break extends hotel strike

The Hawaii hotel workers strike, now at day 42, is likely to continue for at least another eight days.

The labor action, which is the longest-running hotel strike in Hawaii since 1970, began Oct. 8 when negotiations between Unite Here Local 5 and Kyo-ya, which owns the Marriott-­managed Sheraton Waikiki, Royal Hawaiian, Westin Moana Surfrider, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani and Sheraton Maui, reached an impasse.

Bargaining took place Thursday and Friday but ended without a new agreement. Talks are not expected to resume until Nov. 26, which Kyo-ya said was mutually agreed upon by all parties.

At the beginning of the strike the union had been seeking a $3-an-hour wage increase and Kyo-ya had offered a 70-cent hike for wages and benefits. Neither side is providing updated pay figures.

On Saturday, Local 5 said management’s proposal during the latest bargaining session wasn’t enough to preserve benefits and provide “real” wage raises.

“We made progress, but there’s still a distance,” said union spokeswoman Paola Rodelas. “We’re standing strong and are planning some great events this week as we celebrate the solidarity of our members and the support of our community.

Kyo-ya said Saturday that its latest offer to Local 5 for combined benefits and wages was “higher than what was agreed to in any of the markets on the mainland that were on strike and have settled, including Boston, San Diego, San Jose, Chicago and Oakland.

“With this increase, our employees would have continued to be among the highest-paid hotel workers in the country,” the company said.

Kyo-ya said its most recent offer also maintained benefits for all retirees, which include a pension and 100 percent company-paid individual and family insurance for medical, dental, vision and drug coverage.

Another sticking point in negotiations has been the workload of Local 5 housekeepers, who have complained that cleaning 15 rooms a day precludes workers from taking breaks and leads to injuries.

Kyo-ya said it has proposed a reduction in workload for Local 5 housekeepers.

“Kyo-ya has always had a strong and longstanding commitment to our employees and has taken great measures to treat them fairly in terms of annual wages and benefits. And the Kyo-ya team continues its commitment to good faith bargaining,” the company said.

Unite Here reached a tentative agreement several weeks ago with Marriott on national issues such as job safety and security and automation and technology. However, the union declined to release the terms that came out of those discussions or local discussions until workers in all cities have obtained new contracts.

Honolulu and Maui Marriott workers have been part of a nationwide strike by 7,700 Marriott hotel workers from 23 hotels in eight cities. Only Unite Here hotel workers in Hawaii and San Francisco are still striking. Settlements have been reached in Boston and Detroit and the California cities of San Jose, Oakland and San Diego.

The Boston-based Unite Here Local 26 ended its 45-day Marriott hotel workers strike Saturday after union members ratified a new contract. Roughly 1,500 workers from seven Marriott hotels began the city’s first-ever hotel strike in early October.

Some 2,500 workers in San Francisco are still picketing at the Kyo-ya-owned Palace Hotel and seven other Marriott properties.