HAWAII

Hotel workers picket Ilikai amid labor talks

An estimated 300 hotel union workers and supporters rallied on the sidewalk in front of Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel yesterday afternoon amid contract negotiations with the 783-room hotel.

The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union Local 5 is seeking a four-year contract for its 300 Ilikai workers. Talks are scheduled to resume Tuesday, said Eric Gill, who is head of Local 5.

The Ilikai is managed by Interstate Hotels & Resorts Inc., based in Washington, D.C., which operates more than 450 hospitality properties worldwide. A hotel official could not be reached for comment.

The main point of contention in the talks is retirement benefits, the union said. Ilikai workers want the option of using the union pension fund or the hotel's current defined-contribution plan, which relies on mutual funds, said Local 5 researcher Jason Ward.

Cayetano awarded by biotechnology industry

Gov. Benjamin Cayetano was recognized by the Biotechnology Industry Organization yesterday for his contributions in growing the state's life sciences industry.

The industry group, which represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions and related organizations, gave Cayetano the BIO Governor of the Year award. The award was established to honor public servants for leadership and commitment to advancing biotechnology and promoting public health.

The award was given yesterday at a fund-raising luncheon for the University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine. The medical school is scheduled to break ground tomorrow for its new Kakaako facility.

Hawaiian Electric dividend at 62 cents

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., which has paid dividends continuously since 1901, declared a fourth-quarter distribution yesterday of 62 cents a share. The company, which has now maintained its dividend at 62 cents for 20 consecutive quarters, will be payable Dec. 10 to stockholders of record at the close of business Nov. 12.

Robert F. Clarke, chairman, president and chief executive officer of HEI, also repeated his statement from recent dividend declarations that the company intends to keep the dividend at the current level "for the foreseeable future." HEI's dividend yields 5.3 percent.

Schuler parent to pay 6-cent-a-share dividend

D.R. Horton Inc., which purchased Honolulu-based homebuilder Schuler Homes in February, has declared a dividend of 6 cents a share that is equal to last quarter's payout but 20 percent higher than the distribution of a year ago.

The dividend is payable Nov. 15 to stockholders of record on Nov. 4.

MAINLAND

Shippers go to Feds with slow work charges

SAN FRANCISCO >> Dockworkers are using a work slowdown to delay shipments at U.S. West Coast ports opened earlier this month following a lockout, according to shippers, who filed a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department.

The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shippers, documented "significant declines in productivity" despite a court order that dockworkers resume work at a reasonable rate of speed, the association said in a statement. Steve Sugerman, spokesman for the association, wouldn't release a copy of the Justice Department complaint.

International Longshore and Warehouse Union spokesman Steve Stallone said he hadn't had a chance to read the statement and decline to comment.

The union has said it may keep adhering to safety rules, a practice shippers call a work slowdown.