GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Local 5 leader Eric Gill was released last night after he and 25 other union members were arrested while picketing.

26 in picket line
arrested for blocking
traffic at Hilton

Hotel union officials say 1,500
took part in the Waikiki protest

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By Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.com

Ilikai Hotel operator Elizabeth Bell said she knew there was a possibility she could be among those arrested while blocking traffic yesterday in front of Kalia Road in Waikiki.

But even after getting arrested and spending about an hour in a jail cell, Bell claims it was worth it.

"This is important," Bell said after she was released last night.

Bell was among 26 members of the Local 5 Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union arrested for what police term as "obstruction" after blocking traffic going in and out of the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Union officials estimated about 1,500 members and supporters took part in yesterday's informational picketing, which was aimed at putting pressure on eight Waikiki hotels involved in contract negotiations.

"We had plans to have civil disobedience, and we knew people were going to get arrested," said Jason Ward, a union research analyst who was waiting outside the police station.

"And our point is this: The union is willing to do anything to get a good contract."

Local 5 members have already picketed two of the four Sheraton hotels in Waikiki, the Princess Kaiulani and the Moana-Surfrider.

The union earlier canceled its contract extensions that covered employees at the four Sheratons and the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Ward said the contract issues are job security and employee workload, which was affected by hotel cutbacks in the aftermath of Sept. 11.

Included among the nine women and 17 men arrested were Local 5 Vice President Hernando Tam and President Eric Gill.

"They made me take off my shoes!" yelled a barefoot Gill upon his release after the union posted the $50 bail for each member.

"This is a symbolic action," Gill said afterward. "We're not going to let the company push us back into the past ... back to the plantation days."