We’ve received numerous inquiries from visitors about the recent Hawaii hotel workers’ strike. Last week, over 5,000 workers from eight major resorts, including prominent properties in Waikiki and Kauai, participated in a three-day strike organized by UNITE HERE Local 5. The Labor Day weekend action marked Hawaii’s largest hotel strike in over 30 years. Visitors encountered picket lines and service disruptions, raising questions about the ongoing labor relations in Hawaii’s key tourism sector.
The Hawaii hotel strike, part of a broader national labor movement, strategically targets interruptions in the tourism industry. This has led to visitor frustrations over diminished service quality at premium resorts, further highlighting the strain between workers and management.
Hawaii union’s demands and stalled negotiations.
The labor dispute focuses on workers’ wage demands that reflect Hawaii’s high cost of living, better workloads, and increased staffing. UNITE HERE Local 5 has highlighted that workers are burdened with heavier duties despite growing hotel profits. Negotiations with major hotel operators like Marriott and Hilton have not resulted in an agreement, leaving the possibility of future unpredictable strikes looming for Hawaii’s tourism industry.
Cade Watanabe, UNITE HERE Local 5’s financial secretary-treasurer, pointed out that the labor action highlights how workers are left behind despite the recovery of the tourism sector. He emphasized that the current crisis in Hawaii’s hospitality industry stems from the offshore owners’ lack of respect for workers, not from the workforce itself.
The visitor experience during the Hawaii hotel strike.
For many tourists, the strike brought unexpected disruptions to their Hawaii vacations. Guests at properties like the Moana Surfrider and Sheraton Waikiki experienced uncleaned rooms, limited housekeeping, and delays in hotel services. While some visitors voiced support for the workers’ cause, the decline in service quality left them feeling frustrated, especially when comparing their current stays to past experiences. These issues highlighted the broader impact of the strike on Hawaii’s tourism reputation.
Hotel management response and mitigation efforts.
Hotels worked to minimize disruptions by enacting contingency plans, though the results were mixed. Some hotels assured guests that operations would continue, but many services were scaled back. In some cases, non-union staff and outside contractors were deployed.
Hilton’s response to the Hawaii hotel strike.
Hilton addressed the strike by acknowledging the union’s right to protest while working to minimize disruptions. Despite deploying contingency plans, many guests still experienced reduced services, including the lack of daily housekeeping, which fell short of expectations. For travelers who had paid premium prices, these service cutbacks significantly impacted their vacation experience, leading to frustrations that contrasted with the brand’s usual standards.
Sentiment from the wider public.
Public opinion has been split, with some supporting hotel workers’ demands for fair wages and improved working conditions. In contrast, others worry about the strike’s effect on an already challenged Hawaii tourism industry. Feedback from readers showed sympathy for workers facing low pay in high-cost Hawaii but also highlighted concerns about the potential impact on travelers and the long-term health of our hospitality sector. These tensions are particularly significant in Hawaii, where tourism is the economy’s lifeblood.
What Hawaii visitors should know.
For travelers planning to visit Hawaii in the coming months, it’s good to remain aware of the potential for further labor actions at these properties and potentially others. The disruption during Labor Day speaks to the value of staying informed and flexible when booking accommodations. Knowing in advance allows time to readjust expectations, consider alternative accommodations or trip insurance, and simply plan more time at the beach.
We welcome your input!
Another good reason to scrap the STR ban. STR staff are better paid, have better working conditions, and know the owners personally.
Could you send me the Beat of Hawaii that contains the spa special at the Grand Wailea. I read it but can’t locate again to try to book. Thanks, Dolores
I am so glad we went to Hawaii a month ago!! We always stay at Hilton Hawaiian Village. Talked to a person that worked in a shop on the property and she told us about an impending strike and they were all scared since it hadn’t happened in over 30 years. The price I pay to go over to Hawaii and stay at Hilton Hawaiian Village, I would have been so mad if that had happened. We went to Kuaui first for a wedding at the Hyatt for 4 days, then went to our favorite Oahu for 8 days. Now scared about losing Hawaiian Airlines!!! I love Alaskan, that’s all we fly, but love Hawaiian first class to Hawaii. Better accomodations than any other airplane or Airline. Fingers crossed.!
Remove the TAT, get that off visitors shoulders. Do invoke a fixed rate on gross receipts to be taxed, this includes the stupid resort fee, for state/counties to have for income. And, every single dollar rec’d needs to be accounted for. No more 3rd world back room stealing and thieving under the guise of pono.
I am sure that during the big cutback in services, the hotels are reducing their room rates accordingly. 🙂
(sarcasticlly speaking)
What’s the best way to find out plans for when another strike is happening?
The hospitality industry must support livable wages. When hotels continue to report solid profits to their shareholders it can’t be on the backs of wages that do not meet wage requirements to have shelter, food, and a solid standard of living.
When the Union campaigns to the workers, they pretty much just focus on Housekeeping because they have the most votes. The others just fall in line and support the Union. A strike really benefits no one as the workers will take years to make up the lost wages. Management suffers as they need to do the striking workers jobs. The poor guests are caught in the middle. The Union bosses make out either way and get a raise by way of increased union dues when a settlement is reached.
Yassuh, us indentured servants will just keep our heads down
and work harder 🙂
It’s doubtful that the workers supporting STRs make a living wage.
They are probably working 2 or 3 jobs to even be able to stay in Hawaii.There are health care professionals like Dental Hygienists
and Registered Nurses moving to the mainland because they can’t afford to live in Hawaii
Same here in NJ. wish they would pay me a living wage but that doesn’t exist anywhere for poor to middle-class.
Easy solution: avoid the overpriced, foreign owned hotels and rent a short term vacation rental instead. They are still legal and employ a lot of workers like cleaners and gardeners, who will all be unemployed once str’s are banned. If you don’t want to do your own cooking, support the local restaurants. They’re a heck of lot cheaper than anything in a hotel.
My bet is that the hotel owners won’t negotiate a settlement and will try to ride this out. They didn’t attain their wealth by being fair or nice to employees. The human cost is not as important as the bottom line.
A state that is totally Clueless! The Covid Scam, Lockdowns, then reduced staffing and the customer despite expectations from past experiences can choose to have the room cleaned, this an option, while Staff was getting compensated with Covid Relief $, that exceeded their normal pay. All should understand, that the name on the marquis, is not the Owner, Hilton Hawaiian Village excluded, from Halekalani to Hyatt’s, from Sheraton, Westin, Marriott, to the Kahala and Kamaaina Hotel, all are owned by Japanese Companies. Who in their right mind would book a Reservation under these conditions, with Unions threatening Owners, Management and Tourism, 95% of the Hawaii’s Revenue stream. Mahalo, a hui Hou.🤟
Most big corporations consider wages to be a controllable expense.
Given the extremely high cost of living, striking is the only option left to the workers. Totally supportive of their effort to get pay raises.
Thanks for keeping us informed about the strikes. We’re visiting Honolulu in Oct, and the Big Island in Nov., so we want to keep informed. We have relatives in the hospitality sector, and realize that many workers have to work two jobs to make enough to live comfortably in the islands. On the other hand, my husband is a board member for our Hilton timeshare, so we get the other side too. It’s a difficult balance.