The National Labor Relations Board yesterday rescheduled a union vote at the Princeville Hotel for Sept. 24. The election was originally set for last Friday, but was postponed so that the board could hear Unite Here! Local 5’s request to
The National Labor Relations Board yesterday rescheduled a union vote at the Princeville Hotel for Sept. 24.
The election was originally set for last Friday, but was postponed so that the board could hear Unite Here! Local 5’s request to allow additional categories of employees to vote.
The certification election will include Local 5 as well as Local 142 of International Longshore and Warehouse Union on the ballot. ILWU representatives have been in talks with employees at the North Shore hotel for about two years. Local 5 expressed interest in representing the workers in July.
At the hearing, the board ruled that housekeeping supervisors and room control clerks will now be able to take part in the process. Local 5 spokesman Cade Watanabe said their request to add accounting staff to that list was not honored.
As a result, only three to four more individuals were added to the previous 300, according to ILWU representative Tracy Takano.
Takano argued that Local 5’s last-minute intervention did more harm than good for the Prince-ville workers.
“That’s the sad part: There are only three new people who are able to vote (while Local 5) had the election postponed for 300,” Takano said.
But Watanabe countered that the hold-up is actually a reflection of the union’s commitment to fighting for all workers’ rights, as the original agreement failed to include all those who wanted to participate, he said.
“What happened today was a positive move and should be considered as such for the Princeville workers,” Watanabe said.
Local 5 is a branch of Unite Here!, a national union that represents dozens of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Inc. properties, including the Sheraton Kauai Hotel & Resort in Po‘ipu. Starwood is also the Princeville Hotel’s parent company.
Local 142 of ILWU represents the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa on-island.
• Blake Jones, business writer/assistant editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or bjones@kauaipubco.com.
