The Halele`a Spa negotiating committee L-R: Hawaii Division Director Elmer Gorospe, Business Agent Calvin Corpuz, Timothy Johnson, secretary Rain Cruz, chair Juan Garcia-Neveu. “We saw so many smiles on people’s faces as we were explaining the contract,” said Cruz. “They saw how a solid contract will protect us and provide us with wages we deserve.” This photo was taken after members voted overwhelmingly in favor of their contract.
PRINCEVILLE — The St. Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai has been a part of the union since 2008, but the workers in the unit’s spa, Halele`a Spa, did not have a contract.
...Until now, that is. On September 7, 2017, the workers at the spa ratified their first contract, a four-year tentative agreement.
These spa workers brought a new category of workers to the union. They include massage therapists, locker room spa attendants, estheticians, hair stylists, nail and makeup technicians, and receptionists.
“Being a part of the team that brought the union to the spa was such an honor,” said negotiating committee secretary and massage therapist Rain Cruz. “I feel like we set the bar really high in terms of work quality and having a clear understanding of our different positions and rights.”
Welcome to the union ohana, Halele`a Spa, and congratulations to the committee members for negotiating their benefits and increases.
Tourism Update
Tourism is the largest single source of private capital for Hawaii’s economy and correspondingly, Local 142’s membership is largest in the tourism grouping. What does this mean for the workers of Hawaii?
It is useful to look at Kauai as a case study. The Hawaii Tourism Authority is predicting a 42.6 percent jump of scheduled flights to Lihue for the first seven months of 2018 compared to the first seven months of 2017. On a small island like Kauai, how much tourism is too much?
Concerns for the community
Multiple airlines such as Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines have announced extra flights to Lihue from the West Coast.
More flights bring more people and more congestion. Many locals are concerned about too many visitors, traffic congestion, and affordability.
“On the neighbor islands,” said former Maui Division Director Willie Kennison, “it’s not unusual to see ten cars in front of one house. People have a hard time living with just one family anymore.”
What is “sustainable” tourism?
On September 19-21, 2017, Local 142 President Donna Domingo and Secretary-Treasurer Guy Fujimura attended the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s Global Tourism Summit.
The summit focused on the idea of sustainability — what needs to be done for our natural resources to keep pace with the economic growth.
Humans are natural resources, too. “Why do people come to Hawaii?” asked Domingo, reflecting on what she learned at the Summit. “For the people; for that aloha spirit. The aloha spirit of our culture, community and population is the true pillar the tourism industry is built on. If we don’t take care of our people, our workers, we crumble that pillar.”
“In the plantation days, as long as workers had a place to call their own and enjoy, they were ok; they could keep that aloha spirit alive,” said Fujimura. “But increasingly, there are only places for tourists to go have a good time, places that tourists can afford.”
Unions key to being truly “sustainable”
Unions are our best hope for tourism being truly “sustainable” because they provide people with a living wage, a better quality of life and security. If the industry demands growth, unions are there to demand more protection and fairness for the workers who contribute to the economy and our community home.
