Royal Kona workers authorize strike

Unionized workers at the Royal Kona Resort have voted to authorize a strike against the property, with whom they have not had a contract since last year.

A 76 percent majority voted Thursday to authorize a strike. The old contract, which covered the 145 employees at the hotel, expired in June 2007. Hotel owner Hawaiian Hotels & Resorts moved to cancel the contract.

Gary Hogan, president of Hawaiian Hotels & Resorts, said the company still wants to meet with the union. He said the company is proud that it has not laid off any employees during the recession. The company was expected to meet with the union yesterday.

Top go! Mokulele exec to resign

Go! Mokulele Vice President Paul Skellon, the airline's top-ranked executive in Hawaii, is stepping down effective April 30.

He will be replaced by Curtis Berchtold, the former chief financial officer of Minneapolis-based Corsair Aviation. Berchtold's title with go! Mokulele will be vice president of planning for go! Mokulele's parent company, Mesa Air Group Inc.

Scott Durgin, who was the chief executive officer of Mokulele Airlines when it formed a joint venture with go! in October 2009, returned earlier this year to Mokulele's former majority owner, Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc.

Skellon, who said his first objective is to hone his horse polo skills in Hawaii, has “;a couple of things in the pipeline that he's not at liberty to talk about.”;

Hawaiian Hospitality event sales up

Hawaiian Hospitality Group Inc, a Haleiwa-based provider of sustainable land use solutions and event services, said event sales at its Loulu Palm Estate development property are up 43 percent over last year.

The company said it had booked 100 events for 2010 as of March 23 after hosting 70 events last year at its flagship property. Hawaiian Hospitality said it expects to host as many as 125 events this year.

Mattel rings up unexpected profit

Mattel Inc., the world's largest toymaker, posted an unexpected profit in the first quarter on sales growth boosted by “;Toy Story”; and World Wrestling Entertainment action figures and games.

Net income was $24.8 million, or 7 cents a share, compared with a loss of $51 million, or 14 cents, a year earlier, the El Segundo, Calif.-based company said yesterday. Analysts expected a loss of 3 cents a share, according to the average of 15 estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Revenue increased 12 percent to $880 million from $786 million a year ago, when job losses during the recession curbed consumer spending.

CPB's parent to stay with tag

Central Pacific Financial Corp., parent company of Central Pacific Bank, said it will continue to participate in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Transaction Account Guarantee program, or TAG, which was recently extended by the FDIC to Dec. 31.

The TAG program provides customers of participating insured depository institutions with unlimited FDIC insurance coverage on deposit balances held in noninterest-bearing checking accounts and qualifying interest-bearing checking accounts.

On the Move

» Marriott International has promoted Rodney Ito to area director of operations for Marriott International-North Asia, Hawaii and South Pacific from general manager of Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. He has 26 years of hotel hospitality experience.

» Liquid Planet Studios has announced the following hires:
—Dan Schmidt as director of production. He has 30 years' experience in the local television industry.
—Mia Noguchi as public relations director and chief communications officer. She was with the University of Hawaii system, managing public relations.