For immediate release
September 18, 2007
Kim Harman
(808) 941-2141 x 2770; (808) 375-9560
Cade Watanabe
(808) 896-1502; [email protected]
Hale Koa Workers fly to San Francisco for union vote count
On Tuesday, September 18, 2007 beginning at 7:00 a.m. (HST), the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) will commence with the tallying of votes in the union election at Hale Koa Hotel – the U.S. Army owned and operated hotel located at Fort DeRussy in Waikiki.
Eddie Yagin and Lynda Nakagawara, Local 5 members and employees at the Hale Koa will travel to San Francisco as official observers to the tallying of votes being conducted by the FLRA.
Local 5 expects to be able to release the official vote tally by 2:00 p.m. (HST) on Tuesday September 18, 2007. Mr. Yagin and Ms. Nakagawara will be available by phone for additional comment and reactions immediately following the FLRA’s release of the election results.
If no objection to the tally is filed by any one of the interested parties associated with the election, the official vote tally will be certified by the FLRA five (5) business days following the tally.
Additional information:
The FLRA began mailing out election ballots on Monday August 13, 2007. The more than 800 workers employed at the Hale Koa were given a deadline of September 17, 2007 to have completed and returned their election ballots to the FLRA office in San Francisco.
UNITE HERE! Local 5, a local labor organization which represents more than 11,000 hotel and service workers throughout the state of Hawaii, was originally elected to represent workers at the Hale Koa Hotel in August, 2006. Since that time and at every opportunity, from allegedly illegally attempting to limit the number of workers who can observe and participate in bargaining to attempts at limiting workers’ abilities to talk to union organizers, Hale Koa has acted to limit workers rights. Most notably, in a December 23, 2006 decision, an arbitrator wrote: “…I find there was retaliatory conduct due to the Grievant’s efforts to seek relief under the ADA and for his efforts on behalf of the Union.” The retaliatory conduct resulted in the termination of a worker, but the arbitrator ruled the worker be returned to work.
For more information on Hawaii Hotel Workers Rising and the Hale Koa Hotel campaign visit www.uniehere5.org or www.halekoaworkalert.info