Hotel workers remain on strike after latest offer rejected
HONOLULU — Hawaii hotel workers are expected to remain on strike this week after negotiations between the union and Kyo-ya Hotels and Resorts failed to result in a deal.
The Unite Here Local 5 union and Kyo-ya are slated to return to talks next week.
About 2,700 Marriott employees on Oahu and Maui went on strike early last month, seeking higher wages and better benefits.
Kyo-ya says in a statement that union leadership rejected the latest offer, which would have been the “largest increase in compensation for any of the striking markets nationwide.”
Union officials say the proposal did not take into account the “true cost of living and working in Hawaii.”
They say workers need to be paid enough so they only need one job to live in the state.
3 Comments
Ok. Wow, getting rough. Now they have no money. What now?
What justification does this Union expect from its mainly service oriented workforce who are subjected to high technological certifications or required education that often costs $thousands just to be employed by other industries that pay compatible rates that they are asking for?
I had to get at least a two year college degree in computer technology and then pay for yearly Microsoft certifications along with DoD security information exams along with back ground investigation while making $18 per hour, which is what this Union is asking for.
It is unreasonable to ask for this same rates when most are just house keeping responsibilities that do not require education beyond the high school level. Maybe the company should file for bankrupt and fire all of them, then change their name and rehire a whole new work force instead of being black mailed by greedy Unions who get a percentage of any wage increase.
Tourists pay more than $300 a night to stay in these hotels and union critics say that the service workers are greedy?
Hotel workers should be able to support themselves by working one full time job. These hotels are billion dollar corporations not mom & pop shops. The owners are the greedy ones. They can afford to pay a living wage. The workers deserve it.