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Union lifts boycott
for fund-raiser
A benefit for Daniel Mapu
is set at Turtle Bay Resort
Hotel workers have temporarily lifted a year-long union boycott of Turtle Bay Resort to allow people to attend the Saturday fund-raiser for 23-year-old paraplegic Daniel Mapu.
Mapu was struck by a pickup truck and a van while holding anti-drug signs on Kamehameha Highway on Aug. 25, 2003. As a result of his head injuries, Mapu uses a wheelchair, can use only his left arm and is unable to speak.
Officials of Local 5 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union said they were approached by the Kahuku community to allow people to attend the fund-raiser without being stopped by a picket line to promote the boycott. Turtle Bay employs about 260 Local 5 members who have been boycotting the resort since both sides failed to reach a contract agreement last November.
"We've settled on most of the issues except for subcontracting, and we've been out here ever since," said Jason Ward, Local 5 spokesman. "But with the Mapu concert, we had an appeal from community leaders on behalf of the Mapu family.
"Our workers, a lot of them have connections with the Mapu family or know his story, so we felt it was the right thing to do."
According to Mapu's cousin Penny Toilolo, "They (Local 5) asked us to move ours so that we would not be supporting Turtle Bay, but since we were locked in to that place, we couldn't do that.
"But they had a vote last week sometime to suspend boycotting that day, just for those hours of the concert. ... We're happy."
Mapu's concert is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Turtle Bay Resort's Kahuku Ballroom and features entertainment by Cecilo & Kapono, Ho'onu'a, Three Plus, Vaihi, TOA and Root's Rockaz. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door at all Ticketmaster outlets. Any questions may be directed to Toilolo at 358-9716.
www.herelocal5.org/
