325 Sheraton Maui Hotel Workers on Strike

Marriott workers on Maui. Sept. 2018.

More than 2,700 Hawaiʻi hotel workers are on strike in five hotels operated by Marriott and owned by Kyo-ya, including the Sheraton Maui in Kāʻanapali.

As of 5 a.m. today, Monday, Oct. 8, 2018, more than 325 Sheraton Maui hotel workers are on strike.

The strike comes as Marriott and Kyo-ya have failed to reach agreement on workers’ demand that “One Job Should Be Enough.”

Months of negotiations included discussion on key issues such as job security around technology and automation, workplace safety, and adequate compensation for workers.

Honolulu and Maui Marriott Unite Here workers are joining a nationwide strike totaling eight cities with 7,700 hotel workers from 23 hotels.

Workers will be picketing at all five Hawaiʻi properties where the strike was authorized including: Sheraton Maui, Sheraton Waikīkī, The Royal Hawaiian, Westin Moana Surfrider and Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.

In response to Maui Now’s request for comment, Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts issued the following statement:

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“Although we are in continued contract discussions with UNITE HERE Local 5, we respect the right of our associates at Kyo-ya’s five properties in Hawaiʻi to participate in a work stoppage which began on Monday, Oct. 8.

“We have implemented contingency plans which ensure that the Sheraton Waikīkī, The Royal Hawaiian, Moana Surfrider, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, and the Sheraton Maui continue to offer our guests an enjoyable experience during their stay in Hawaiʻi. There have been some adjustments to staffing levels and services being offered at our properties. We have notified our guests and business partners of the situation and are providing them with ongoing updates.

“We encourage our current and future hotel guests to contact their individual properties for the latest information.

“We are committed to continuing our good faith bargaining and hope to resolve this situation in a timely manner.”

US Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaiʻi released a statement this morning expressing solidarity with Unite Here Local 5 members striking at Marriott-operated hotels on Oʻahu and Maui saying:

“I stand in solidarity with Hawaiʻi’s hotel workers. Their collective action to go on strike is a powerful reminder that big corporations’ profits and success come from the labor of thousands of dedicated workers in Hawaiʻi and elsewhere. If a corporation wants to succeed in the long run, workers’ voices need to be heard and heeded, and in this case the workers’ demand is perfectly reasonable—one job should be enough to live in Hawaiʻi.”

Marriott workers in Honolulu. September 2018.