Kapalua Bay Hotel members will get a huge paycheck just in time for the holiday season. Most full-time employees will get back pay of an additional $200 to over $800 (before taxes and deductions), depending on their job classification. The extra money is the result of a new union contract which includes three wage increases that go back as far as July 2001.

The union negotiated a total of 10 wage increases, which will boost wages for union members by 22.5 percent over the five-year life of the contract. The increases take effect every six months in January and July and apply to both tipping and non-tipping workers. Three of these wage increases have already passed (July 2001, January 2002, and July 2002), and the hotel will pay the money owed in a lump-sum, which accounts for the bigger paycheck. 

The new contract also puts more money into a number of other items. Porterage for the bell department increases immediately to $2.75. In July 2003, the porterage fee will increase to $3.00 and in July 2005, the porterage fee will increase to $3.25. Housekeepers will get $1.50 for each roll-away bed, sofa bed, or crib made up in guest rooms. This is an increase from $1.00 under the old contract. The maintenance premium for painting or changing light bulbs, or stringing wires above 12 feet handling jumps to an extra $1.00, up from $.25. Group life benefits will increase to $10,000, up from $7,500.

The union also took care of retirement benefits by requiring the hotel to put more money into the pension fund. The hotel will now pay $.15 per hour into the Hotel Industry-ILWU Pension Fund. This increases to twenty cents in July 2004 and then to thirty cents in July 2006. The pension fund pays benefits to current retirees and puts money aside to pay for future retirees, and putting more money into the fund helps to secure your retirement benefits.

Health plan changes

Beginning January 2, 2003, the company will provide medical benefits based on Health Plan Hawaii Plus. Single employees who enroll in this plan will pay $5.00 a month for their share of the plan’s cost. Employees with family or multiple coverage will pay $30.00 a month as their share of the plan’s cost. This will increase in January 2004 by $5.00 and another $5.00 to $40.00 in July 2006. 

Employees also have the choice of continuing their coverage in HMSA’s Preferred Provider Plan or Kaiser’s Plan A. However, they must pay the difference in the cost of their plan and the cost of the Health Plan Hawaii Plus and the $5.00 or $30.00 a month coshare mentioned in the paragraph above. 

Dental benefits were also improved. The maximum annual payments from the plan will increase from $1,000 to $1,200. The hotel will pay the full cost of the monthly premium for the HMSA Dental Plan 127. Employees can choose to enroll in the HMSA Dental Network but must pay the additional monthly premium cost.

Other improvements 

The union will also have the opportunity to meet with new employees and inform them of their rights and benefits as union members. The hotel will provide up to 30 minutes of paid time for new employees for this purpose.

West coast tentative agreement—continued from page 1

contract achieves that goal. 

“This agreement is living proof that the collective bargaining process works. Although our negotiations often faced considerable challenges, the bargaining procedures used in the West Coast longshore industry for more than 60 years continue to produce labor-management peace, prosperity and progress,” ILWU President Spinosa said. “I want to especially thank AFL-CIO SecretaryTreasurer Rich Trumka, who was an important partner to the ILWU throughout this process, and deserves extraordinary praise for his leadership at the negotiating table. I also want to thank all of our members who have worked diligently at the docks during these difficult times. We go to the docks with the goal of putting in a hard day’s work and getting goods to consumers. And that’s what we did and will continue to do each and every day.” 

“By meeting the needs of dock workers for health care, job security, economic security, safety and good pensions while also addressing important technology issues, the ILWU has negotiated a truly historic contract for its members,” said AFLCIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka, who praised ILWU President Spinosa and the ILWU Coast Committee for their leadership and skill throughout the long and difficult contract negotiations. “This is a tremendous victory for the ILWU and the entire labor movement.”