the Claremont Resort is embroiled in a major labor dispute with its workers, featuring picket lines, early morning rallies at various times from dawn to dusk, and a boycott endorsed by political, religious, and community leaders throughout the Bay area.”
Learn more about the dispute by clicking the links above. http:// www.boycottclaremontresort.org/
Biltmore Resort’s story
In December 2000, KSL acquired the 730 room Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix. The union there represents less than one percent of the workforce. Arizona is also a right-to-work-for-less state, so a union with only one percent of the workforce will have little bargaining or legal power to make much improvement in the terms of their contract.
La Costa’s story
In November 2001, KSL bought the La Costa Resort, outside of San Diego, California. The 450 workers at that resort are members of HERE Local 30. They have been demonstrating and signholding for a fair settlement since their contract expired in April 2002. La Costa Resort is also on the boycott list of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE).
A story in the San Diego UnionTribune on August 2, 2002, reported on a union demonstration at the Acura Classic tennis tournament being held at the hotel.
“About 75 members of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 30 held banners along El Camino Real claiming La Costa isn’t negotiating a fair contract. In all, the union represents 450 workers at the luxury, 479-room Carlsbad resort near San Diego. Contract expired April 30, 2002. In addition to the protest outside, the union hired an aircraft to tow a banner overhead, and union supporters attended the matches wearing T-shirts with prounion slogans. Union organizers said no disruptions would occur during the tennis matches themselves, which feature the world’s top female players.”
KSL vs workers
It’s not the workers. The source of the bad relations with workers appears to be KSL management itself. KSL owns or operates eight properties and at least three of them are constantly embroiled in labor disputes with KSL—Claremont, La Costa, and Grand Wailea. It appears that KSL is unable or unwilling to work productively with a unionized workforce. This is in contrast to the vast majority of other unionized companies where management and workers have respectful and productive relationships.
ILWU Local 142— Important notice on Political Action Fund
Articles XXXIII of the Constitution and Bylaws of ILWU Local 142 as amended to October 1, 1991 reads:
“Section 1. The Local Political Action Fund shall consist of voluntary contributions. The Union will not favor or disadvantage any member because of the amount of their contribution or the decision not to contribute. In no case will a member be required to pay more than their pro rata share of the Union's collective bargaining expenses.
“Section 2. The Local Convention shall determine the suggested amount of contribution to the Local Political Action Fund by each member. Individual members are free to contribute more or less than the guidelines suggest. Monies paid into the Fund will be contributed only on behalf of those members who voluntarily permit that portion of their unit dues to be used for that purpose.
“Section 3. Those members who do not wish to have any portion of their unit dues diverted to the Local Political Action Fund, but who wish to make a political action contribution directly to the Fund, may do so in any amount and whenever they wish.
“Section 4. Voluntary contributions to the Local Political Action Fund will be made during the month of December. Each September, October and November, each dues paying member of the Local shall be advised of their right to withhold the suggested contribution or any portion thereof otherwise made in December. Those members expressing such a desire on a form provided by the Local shall be sent a check in the amount of the suggested contribution or less if they so desire, in advance of monies being collected for the Fund.”
Members of the ILWU who wish to contribute more than $4.00 per regular member may do so by sending a check in the desired amount, made out to the ILWU Political Action Fund, directly to the Local office.
❑ More than $4.00 I wish to contribute more than the minimum voluntary contribution of $4.00 to the ILWU Political Action Fund. Enclosed please find my check for $________.
❑ Less than $4.00 I do not wish to contribute the entire $4.00 to the ILWU Political Action Fund. I will contribute $________. I understand that the Local will send me a check for the difference between my contributions and $4.00 ($2.00 for intermittents) prior to December 1, 2003.
❑ No Contribution I do not wish to contribute to the ILWU Political Action Fund. In order to ensure that no portion of my dues payment is allocated to the Fund, and recognizing that I have no obligation whatsoever to make such a contribution, the Local will send me a check in the amount of $4.00 (or $2.00 for intermittents) prior to December 1, 2003.
_________________________________________________________________________________
signature
_________________________________________________________________________________
name (please print)
_________________________________________________________________________________
address
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
unit# social security #
return to: ILWU • 451 Atkinson Drive • Honolulu, HI 96814
ILWU Political Action Fund Contributions are not tax deductible
Pension information for ILWU Hotel Members
This is a summary of the annual report for The Hotel Industry - ILWU Pension Plan, Federal I.D. #99-6027621, for the plan year beginning on January 1, 2002 and ending on December 31, 2002. The annual report has been filed with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
BASIC FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Benefits under the plan are provided by contributions from employers of plan participants. Plan expenses were $7,934,095. These expenses included $1,304,418 in administrative expenses and $6,629,677 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 13,837 persons were participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits.
The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $143,018,198 as of December 31, 2002, compared to $168,966,152 as of January 1, 2002. During the plan year, the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of ($25,947,954). This decrease includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of the plan assets; that is, the difference between the plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or the cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan had total income of ($18,013,859), including employer contributions of $1,614,020, losses from sale of assets of ($10,398,923), and earnings from investments of ($9,205,692).
MINIMUM FUNDING STANDARDS
An actuary’s statement shows that enough money was contributed to the plan to keep it funded in accordance with the Minimum Funding Standards of ERISA.
YOUR RIGHT TO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The item(s) listed below are included in that report:
1. An accountant’s report;
2. Assets held for investment;
3. Fiduciary information, including transactions between the plan and partiesin-interest (that is, persons who have certain relationships with the plan); and
4. Actuarial information regarding the funding of the plan.
To obtain a copy of the full annual report or any part thereof, write or call the office of Pacific Administrators, Inc., who is the Plan Administrator, 1221 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 900, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814, (808) 441-8600. The charge to cover copying costs will be $23.25 for the full annual report, or $.25 per page for any part thereof.
You also have the right to receive from the Plan Administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the Plan Administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge.
You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the Trust Fund Office, 1221 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 900, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814, and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs.
Requests to the Department of Labor should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N1513, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20210.
ILWU Local Convention Report Contract Administration—continued from page 5
infringe on members’ individual privacy rights; and (e) attendance policies that do not allow the legitimate use of sick leave to be used for disciplinary purposes.
13) The Union should make efforts to re-introduce industry-wide bargaining in the tourism industry as a means to negotiate higher standards of wages, benefits, and working conditions. The first step in this process is to negotiate the duration clause in all of the hotel contracts so that they expire at or around the same date.
14) The union should continue to advocate and negotiate for the establishment of a Health and Welfare Fund for all industries.
15) The Union should encourage all members and units to support the members of Royal Lahaina Resort, King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, KSL Grand Wailea Resort, Inc., and Hyatt Regency Maui in their struggle for a better contract.
16) The Union shall endeavor to negotiate an expanded definition of “wages” to mean all monies earned (i.e. wages, tips, gratuities, service charges, porterage, etc.).