DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Left to right: Dolores Zane, Janet Nakashima and Elaine Pang talked at the Blaisdell before the Local 5 ratification vote yesterday. They each have more than 30 years of work experience with Sheraton in Hawaii.

Hotel workers
OK contract

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By Lyn Danninger and Tim Ruel
ldanninger@starbulletin.com
truel@starbulletin.com

Hotel workers from the Hilton Hawaiian Village and the four Sheraton hotels in Waikiki voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new four year contract yesterday. The vote was 1,174 in favor, 4 opposed.

The contracts, which run until June 30, 2006, cover 4,000 workers at Hilton Hawaiian Village and the four Sheraton hotels in Waikiki.

Just more than half the votes were needed to ratify the contract.

The union planned a "No One Stands Alone" celebration last night at its Waikiki headquarters.

Local 5 now faces contract negotiations with the Ilikai, Hyatt and Ala Moana hotels in Waikiki, covering 1,300 workers. The union hopes to use the Sheraton and Hilton contracts as a benchmark, easing negotiations with the other hotels.

However, Local 5 is already planning to hold a rally on Thursday against whichever hotel is furthest away on contract talks, according to a flyer sent to members.

Less than 30 percent of members submitted ratification votes. Workers had been voting since morning, some arriving by buses arranged by the union at the hotels.

Debora Tabar, a 29-year Hilton employee who does clerical work, said she voted to ratify the contract and is pleased with improvements in welfare and pension benefits.

Richard Kiaaina, a Sheraton food preparation employee, said he's pleased with the major improvements in wages for subcontracted employees, as well as better job-protection language in case a hotel is sold.

Eric Gill, financial secretary-treasurer of Local 5, said the contract has the biggest pension increase in the union's history. "There's nothing bad about it," he said.

Highlights of the new contract include:

>>Hotels must require any new owner to assume the union contract as a condition of sale.
>> Hotels cannot expand subcontracting activities without union agreement.
>> Workload levels are assured. Employees who are absent due to vacation sick or other leave will be replaced as required depending on level of business occurring at the hotel.
>> Medical coverage continues to be free to all workers including new hires.