Hawaii hotel workers spend Labor Day walking picket lines as strike enters 2nd day

WAIKIKI (HawaiiNewsNow) – Roughly 5,000 workers at Hawaii hotels spent Labor Day weekend walking picket lines in the heart of the city’s tourism center as the strike for better working conditions entered its second day.

At the same time, more than 10,000 workers at 25 hotels across the U.S. also on striked Monday.

Union “UNITE HERE! Local 5″ chose Labor Day weekend to amplify their demands for higher pay, fair staffing, and a reversal of COVID-era cuts, including a full return of guest services, like room service and daily room cleaning.

Workers say it’s about improving conditions not just for them, but for the guests as well.

“Even after COVID, they didn’t bring all our workers back so everyone is doing more work,” said Pamela Toma who worked at the Hyatt Regency in Waikiki for 35 years. “As servers we make $14 because we’re tipped employees. We’ve been negotiating with them since April and they don’t want to do anything.”

The Hyatt is just one of the major Waikiki hotels with workers on strike.

HNN reached out to the hotel for comment about negotiations with the union and is waiting to hear back

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Hotel guests HNN spoke with said they support the workers but they can’t sleep with noise and they’re beginning to notice the impact to hotel services.

“You know it’s okay they are striking. We get whatever people got to do but it’s the drums and they start so early at 4 a.m. in the morning until late at night,” said one hotel guest.

“We had no room service. We did not get any towels. So it’s sad you know the people work hard. I feel real bad,” a guest at the Hyatt said.

Hospitality consultant Keith Vieira said the strike puts hotels in a difficult position.

“Probably 10 to 15% of your staff or managers or supervisor levels that are non-union, so they’re going to all pitch in and clean rooms and do what they have to do,” explained Vieira.

“Naturally you’re going to hire walk-ins off the street but that’s really difficult because there isn’t, an excess of workers looking for jobs. I mean, everybody is very tight.”

Meanwhile, nearby businesses say the strike is hurting their bottom line.

“We’ve noticed a lot of our customers seem to be avoiding International Marketplace with the protesting and things that are going on street,” said Allen Farinas, the owner of Shorefyre restaurant.

“All those guys should get what they need to get to support their families, it’s just sad that it does affect my business.”

The union said the strike was their last option after months of failed negotiations.

“If we stay quiet, nothing will change,” a picketer said.

The strike is set to finish at the end of the day on Tuesday but the union said negotiations have not been scheduled yet.

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