By Brandon Masuoka Advertiser Staff Writer
In one of the largest, most disruptive labor actions in Waikiki in recent years, more than 1,000 union members carried picket signs and 26 demonstrators were arrested after they blocked the main entrance to the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
The workers are not on strike, but have been using informational pickets to gain public support and put pressure on hotel management to speed up contract talks for about 4,000 employees of the four Sheraton Waikiki hotels and the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
The demonstrators from Local 5 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union were arrested shortly before 5 p.m. and charged with blocking the Kalia Road exit and entrance to the hotel, a petty misdemeanor, police said.
"We're doing this to get a contract," said Local 5 financial secretary-treasurer Eric Gill, who joined the demonstrators in the sit-down and was arrested.
"It was civil disobedience," said Clarence Baijo, business agent of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, who organized the demonstration. "As you can see, it was civil. Our intent was not to get into a fight. It was to make a point. The point is to show the company how serious we are about negotiations."
The union, whose members have faced layoffs and reduced hours since the Sept. 11 attacks, is seeking improved job security and wage and benefit improvements. The hotels say they are struggling financially because they have had to lower rates and offer special deals to attract guests. They say disruptions by the union are only making matters worse.
The union has used informational pickets sporadically at the Sheraton hotels since June. Yesterday's action marked a significant escalation in activity and was clearly aimed at showing management how disruptive to business it potentially could be.
The demonstrators sat in the crosswalk, blocking the busy entrance to the hotel. Police officers asked them to move, and when they refused police began making arrests. A handful of police officers in riot gear, holding plastic shields, waited across the street but were not needed.
Some of the protesters, including Gill, were joking and smiling as police attached plastic handcuffs and walked them to waiting trucks. The demonstrators were taken to police headquarters, booked and charged. Police said they would be able to post bail and ordered to go to court. Normally, no jail time is ordered in such cases, police said.
The presence of the pickets, police officers and news media began snarling traffic even before the protests began, and streets around the hotel were clogged for more than an hour.
Some bystanders and motorists gave the workers high-fives and shouted "good job!"
But some hotel guests said they were annoyed by the traffic jam and disruption of their vacations.
"I sat in traffic for an hour trying to get into the hotel parking lot," said Kevin Gardner, 44, of Connecticut. "They don't need to disrupt people on vacation. I respect the contract and the union process, but they're interfering with tourists who are paying their salaries. That's all wrong."
"They want contracts," said Justin Sykes, 22, of Los Angeles. "But I don't think this is the right way to do it. There's better ways to get their point across. I don't come to Hawai'i to watch picketers in front of my hotel."
Baijo said the union might schedule more demonstrations, but none were scheduled anytime soon.
"But you'll never know," he said. "We'll keep our options open. All we want is to negotiate a contract, a fair deal for our workers, and we'll all go back to work."
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