Nearly 2,000 Hawaii Hotel Workers Join Strike

Close to 2,000 hotel workers at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort went on strike on Sept. 24 – and will stay on strike until a contract is reached. 

The 3,917-room resort, the largest Hilton hotel and largest resort in Hawaii, is now short of 1,892 employees while those workers fight, with the backing of their union, UNITE HERE, for better pay and fairer staffing.  

Hilton Hawaiian Village workers previously walked off the job during Labor Day weekend, along with more than 10,000 others nationwide. More than 4,000 laborers in Hawaii and California are now on strike indefinitely, with the possibility for more to join. 

“I am on strike again and this time I am ready to stay on strike for as long as it takes to win. While hotel companies make record profits,” said Aileen Bautista, a housekeeper at Hilton Hawaiian Village, adding she is a single mom working three jobs to support her family. “We’re committed to bargaining and settling a contract, but since coming back to work after our 3-day limited duration strike and meeting with our employers for another bargaining session, they just don’t get it.” 

UNITE HERE represents hourly hotel workers, including front desk, housekeepers, room inspectors, laundry attendants, servers, bartenders, cooks, dishwashers, banquet set up, and more. As such, the work stoppages could impact guests’ experiences. Guests at Hilton Hawaiian Village reported hearing the chanting of hotel workers picketing, though they were unsure how it would affect their stay otherwise, according to Associated Press.

A Hilton spokesperson said its hotels “have contingency plans in place to ensure operations continue to run as smoothly as possible.” 

“Hilton makes every effort to maintain a cooperative and productive relationship with UNITE HERE that represents some of our Team Members, and we remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements that are beneficial to both our valued Team Members and to our hotels,” the spokesperson added. 

UNITE HERE, however, is urging travelers to not stay at hotels where workers are on strike. Four other Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt hotels are currently part of the labor action – three in San Francisco and one in San Diego.  

Hilton San Diego Bayfront, a 1,190-room hotel, has 720 workers on strike. In San Francisco, a total of 1,500 workers are on strike at Grand Hyatt San Francisco Union Square, Hilton San Francisco Union Square, and Westin St. Francis, a Marriott property. 

A spokesperson for Marriott reported that the Westin St. Francis “remains open,” and there are “well-established protocols in place to operate our properties and take care of guests in the event of any impact to staffing.” 

“We remain available to meet with the local union negotiating committee to reach an agreement that is fair to all parties,” the spokesperson added. 

Hyatt’s Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations for the Americas, said its hotels “have contingency plans in place to minimize impact on hotel operations related to strike activity.” 

“Our colleagues are the heart of our business, and Hyatt has a long history of cooperation with the unions that represent our employees, including UNITE HERE Local 2,” he added. “We are disappointed that UNITE HERE Local 2 has chosen to strike once again while Hyatt remains willing to continue bargaining in good faith.”