Ilikai workers reach deal to keep the hotel running - Hawaii Bu...

The Ilikai Hotel will reopen with 50 workers - at least 15 fewer than when it closed at midnight Thursday - if Unite Here Local 5 ratifies a new contract with the hotel's new owners.

[taxpayer]

And iSTAR Financial Inc. executives will cut their own pay by a like amount.

[jeb]

The joy on the faces pictured says it all. Good luck to everyone. Keep that aloha spirit going. :-)

[World War Three]

Congratulation to the hotel workers. As you know, World War Three has arrived. That means tourism has, and will, continue to drop. Long-term viability of the hotel workers agreement depends on tourism.

Since it is war time, hotel workers union should have a clause in their agreement that as tourism drops hotel workers will receive free assistance in finding Government jobs with the U.S. Military.

In the meantime, keep selling those made in China U.S. Flag lapel pins.

[Listener]

Like 1-step-forward, and 2-steps backward. As long as E. Gill and unions controlled the workers, it would end up on the first place, because the unions
will collect DUES from the employees, like the same thing all over again.
It depends on visitors industry, like now less and less visitors go to Hawaii because of room tax, costs and airline fare.
If I am an employee, I would vote NO for the unions
because they keep colleting $23 approx each paycheck
from them to pay E.Gill instead into employees pocket. The unions is laughing all the way to the bank.

[Kalani from Hilo]

Listener wrote:

Like 1-step-forward, and 2-steps backward. As long as E. Gill and unions controlled the workers, it would end up on the first place, because the unions
will collect DUES from the employees, like the same thing all over again.
It depends on visitors industry, like now less and less visitors go to Hawaii because of room tax, costs and airline fare.
If I am an employee, I would vote NO for the unions
because they keep colleting $23 approx each paycheck
from them to pay E.Gill instead into employees pocket. The unions is laughing all the way to the bank.

I agree. Some day employees will realize that if they were NOT unionized that they could probably be making more money because the employer wouldn't have to deal with the union bosses and the employees wouldn't have to be paying into the union fund (to subsidize the union bosses). I would NEVER join a union.

[Kalani from Hilo]

Remember the Ilikai BEFORE Brian Anderson/Anekona got involved and screwed everything up? And he did the same thing over on Kauai. The man should be ashamed, ashamed, ashamed!!

[Alcohol]

Kalani from Hilo wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree. Some day employees will realize that if they were NOT unionized that they could probably be making more money because the employer wouldn't have to deal with the union bosses and the employees wouldn't have to be paying into the union fund (to subsidize the union bosses). I would NEVER join a union.

Unions protect the older longtime workers from being fired. Plain and simple. Lots of the layoffs in this economy are expensive older workers with no union protection.

[Hula Girl]

Kalani from Hilo wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree. Some day employees will realize that if they were NOT unionized that they could probably be making more money because the employer wouldn't have to deal with the union bosses and the employees wouldn't have to be paying into the union fund (to subsidize the union bosses). I would NEVER join a union.

Well, yes, in good econonic times, maybe employees could make more money in an non-unionized setting. In bad economic times, or when we have rotten employers, we welcome the union's protection and abilily to stick up for us.
At one time, I said that I'd never again join a union or work for a unionized empmloyer. Now, I'm glad I do. I am employed in one of the state agencies that isn't under Govenor Lingle's direct control; combined with having a strong union, I know my job is and benefits are safe. It's a good feeling in today's economy. I am thankful.

[Windward side]

Thought the move that the Ilikai made was to bust the unions. I guess the unions caved in big time but I'm glad that the majority of workers still have their jobs. People gotta wise up. Unions will hurt you more than they will help you.

[Waipuna]

I say boo to Unite Here Local 5. Unions and their members are very selfish people. They think only of themselves, to hell with the owners of the hotel, who cares if the owners are losing money, it's all about me, me, me. The workers don't care that their actions inconvenience hotel guests who have paid thousands of dollars to bring their families to Hawaii for their dream vacation. To hell with them too. As for the full time residents of the Ilikai, what morons, don't they realize that every time they participate in the Union protest rallies they cause their property values to drop. This aging population should consider that long term care facilities are expensive and they will wish they had the money lost due to property value decline.

[local]

Thank goodness something positive came out of this. Congradulations!!!!!!!!!!

[Wildman]

Windward side wrote:

Thought the move that the Ilikai made was to bust the unions. I guess the unions caved in big time but I'm glad that the majority of workers still have their jobs. People gotta wise up. Unions will hurt you more than they will help you.

I got to agree..they got to wake up and smell the union!...lol...wildman.

[Koa]

I am happy that most of the employees at the Ilikai still have a job. However, I wonder when they will demand more pay, more benefits etc.

[alice]

The Ilikai is a hideous lookign, outdated building. These concrete nightmares are less and less wanted by tourists.

[blue collar]

jeb wrote:

The joy on the faces pictured says it all. Good luck to everyone. Keep that aloha spirit going.:-)

To all the union haters - take a look at the faces of men and women of America who toil in anonymity and are the backbone of our country and tell us again how you believe unions are good for nothing and are the cause for our economic downfall. Tell us while you're sipping your fine wine at your country club and looking at the servers and waiters with disdain and contempt. Tell us as you contemplate how to increase your perks and bonuses while cutting more workers. Tell us while you shoot poison into your ugly faces and plastic into your boobs. Tell us!

[blue collar]

Wildman wrote:

<quoted text>
I got to agree..they got to wake up and smell the union!...lol...wildman.

You need to wake up and smell something besides your toxic fumes.

[blue collar]

Waipuna wrote:

I say boo to Unite Here Local 5. Unions and their members are very selfish people. They think only of themselves, to hell with the owners of the hotel, who cares if the owners are losing money, it's all about me, me, me. The workers don't care that their actions inconvenience hotel guests who have paid thousands of dollars to bring their families to Hawaii for their dream vacation. To hell with them too. As for the full time residents of the Ilikai, what morons, don't they realize that every time they participate in the Union protest rallies they cause their property values to drop. This aging population should consider that long term care facilities are expensive and they will wish they had the money lost due to property value decline.

In this case, unions had NOTHING to do with the property losing money. It was the greedy developer who took on more debt than they could handle. Talk about morons - you sure proved to be one!

[alice]

Ilikai looks badly dated

[blue collar]

Kalani from Hilo wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree. Some day employees will realize that if they were NOT unionized that they could probably be making more money because the employer wouldn't have to deal with the union bosses and the employees wouldn't have to be paying into the union fund (to subsidize the union bosses). I would NEVER join a union.

You're another example of a totally illiterate union basher. I hope you have decent medical coverage and pension when you retire because if it wasn't for the unions, thousands more would be without that lifeline. I know of many elderly people here who've been protected from the recent economic disaster BECAUSE benefits gained from union membership protected them. It's NOT about short term pay if you realize that the lifespan after retirement is getting longer and longer and costs go up and up. All the workers benefits that people take for granted (and which many people are again beginning to lose) were gotten through years of hard fought union activism. No doubt greed infiltrated many unions and they lost focus of their primary mandate but you can say the same or more so about the corporate management and governance as well as the political hypocracy and corruption.

[alice]

Unions have helped build the middle class here. I congratulate them for that.