Union: Tentative agreement between Hilton, workers reached

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A tentative agreement has been reached between Hilton and the union representing hundreds of hotel workers, Unite Here Local 5, union leaders said.

The new two-year agreement reportedly includes improved wages, benefits and reinstatement of daily room cleaning and other services, according to the union.

Roughly 1,800 hotel workers at the Hilton Hawaiian Village would benefit from the agreement. The union says the workers will vote to ratify the deal over the next week.

“We are proud to announce a breakthrough in our two-year campaign to defend Hawaii’s hotel service standards,” Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Unite Here Local 5 Eric Gill said.

Since the onset of the pandemic, hotels cut back or even eliminated daily room cleaning and changed it to a request-based system. That decision impacted the jobs of many hospitality industry housekeepers in the state, and they have been fighting to reverse it and bring back previous industry standing, the union said.

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In a statement, Hilton said, “We are pleased to have reached a new labor agreement with UNITE HERE Local Five, which represents some of our Team Members at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Hilton is committed to offering a workplace environment where Team Members are treated fairly and respectfully and has always maintained a cooperative and productive relationship with UNITE HERE. We believe this agreement is beneficial to our valued Team Members and to our hotel and we look forward to continuing to provide our guests with our signature hospitality.”

The union says Hilton also agreed to significantly increase contributions to bolster health and welfare fund services to increase wages and pension contributions.

“We have reached this excellent two-year agreement with Hilton that addresses the most critical issues facing hotel workers as tourism recovers from the pandemic. Local 5 was able to reach this agreement because of the militancy and strong organization of Hilton workers, and because Local 5 participated in coordinated bargaining efforts over the past two years with 15 other local unions and our international union,” Gill added.

Previous collective bargaining terms with the union and several other hotel companies expired on June 30. The union says they will continue working with others in hopes of bettering working conditions for employees.

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