Divided union
takes strike vote

Local 5’s decision on whether
to OK a strike also tallies c
onfidence in union leaders

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By Tim Ruel
truel@starbulletin.com

Hotel union members, negotiating new contracts, face a strike vote today for workers at Waikiki's Hilton and Sheraton properties.

It may ultimately prove to be a vote of confidence, or lack thereof, in the union's new leadership.

Members of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 5 will converge at the Hawaii Convention Center to vote whether to authorize a strike covering 4,000 workers at Hilton Hawaiian Village and Waikiki's four Sheraton hotels.

More than half of today's votes must be in favor of a strike. Even if a strike is approved, it doesn't necessarily mean one will occur. It's up to Local 5 officials to make that call.

The union wants higher wage increases than the hotels are offering, as well as the elimination of medical plan co-payments. The union also wants an end to the hotel practice of hiring low-wage subcontractors for jobs.

Not all union supporters want a strike vote, which has again exposed the dysfunctional relationship between former union leader Tony Rutledge and current leader Eric Gill.

Gill narrowly unseated Rutledge in a 2000 election that ended Rutledge's 14-year reign as the union's financial secretary-treasurer. But Gill was unable to work with a union board stocked with Rutledge supporters, so the union's international parent took over and ordered new elections. Again, Gill won by a narrow margin, this time with more supporters on the board.

In the past week, Rutledge has come out against the strike vote, and a committee is calling for the union international to again assume control of Local 5. Such a decision would be up to the international, which is based in Washington, D.C. General President Jon Wilhelm said today that he'd seen no evidence that such a move was necessary. Meanwhile, the committee is holding a meeting concurrent with today's strike vote.

"I don't think we should be taking a strike vote -- (the hotel managers) are making themselves available," said Tony Idica, a member of the committee. Arlene Ilae, a Rutledge supporter, said she feels Gill moved for a strike vote without getting a best and final offer.

"That's silly," Gill said. "The purpose of calling a strike vote now is to increase our leverage at the bargaining table. The point is to improve the final offer." The vote is an indication of the membership's readiness, something that needs to be known going to the bargaining table, he said.

Idica acknowledged the dissent will distract attention from reaching new contracts with the hotels, but he didn't think that would have major negative effect on negotiations.