A first time contract for Housekeepers at Montage Kapalua Bay has been ratified by the 29 members who now belong to ILWU Local 142, Maui Division. The advantages of joining a union—obtaining better wages, employer provided medical and dental benefits, job security and decent working conditions—is clearly demonstrated in the newly negotiated agreement.
According to union spokesperson Maui Division Director Stephen Castro, the fiveyear agreement will run from November 1, 2014 to October 31, 2019. The contract calls for a 1.5% wage increase to be paid out every six months for a total of 15% over the life of the contract.
The Montage Kapalua Bay hotel opened on May 31, 2009 originally as the Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences. The Kapalua Bay Hotel, which opened in 1978, occupied the property prior to being transformed to the Residences.
The Residences were originally designed with a mix of wholly-owned private condominium and fractional (timeshare) residences. Due to poor market timing, the unsold components of the Residences were foreclosed in early 2013. Timber Resorts replaced the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company as management group of the property. Some of the ILWU workers continued employment under Timber Resorts. Those that were terminated received severance in accordance to the section on severance; a benefit in nearly all ILWU unionized workplaces.
The new ownership group decided to convert the unsold components to hotel suites and replaced Timber Resorts with Montage Hotels & Resorts as the new management group.
Housekeeping workers have been ILWU members since May 2010. The Engineering Department recently won union representation and is in negotiations for a first contract.
CORRECTION: In the Servco Pacific workers win big in new contract article, it was stated incorrectly, “Servco Pacific remains the ONLY auto shop IN HAWAII where auto technicians are paid on the hourly system.” Other ILWU auto technicians also continue to be paid on the hourly system. They are Big Island Toyota, Maui Toyota, and Valley Isle Motors to name a few. We regret the error.
TRANSITIONS
NEW PENSIONERS:
Unit 1517 Hilton Waikoloa Village: Jerry Miyamoto, Betty Nastor
Unit 2414 Times Supermarket: Lester Tanaka
Unit 2516 Hyatt Maui (Regency): Desiderio Gando, Imelda Garcia, Lucrecia Pacli, Margiolina Tuhao
Unit 4404 Love’s Bakery, Inc.: Judith Root
Unit 4526 Pacific Beach Hotel: Beatriz Agustin, Visitacion Baxa, Bonifacio Dafun, Norma Felix, Joyce Kekona
DECEASED MEMBERS:
Unit 1503 Mauna Kea Resort Services: Marcos Rillanos
Unit 1505 King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel: Julita Fernandez
Unit 2107 Valley Isle Community FCU: Sue Ishibashi Unit 2414 Times Supermarket: Sinaitaaga Tufaga
Unit 2516 Hyatt Maui (Regency): Ignacio Cardenas, Michael Mazzone
Unit 4526 Pacific Beach Hotel: Monina Eligio
DECEASED PENSIONER:
Unit 1106 Hamakua Sugar: Tadashi Higuchi
Unit 1409 Mauna Kea Agribusiness: Tadao Matsuzaki
Unit 2501 Royal Lahaina Resort: Sylvia Harima
Housekeepers of the first shift listen as their first contract is being presented. Many of the housekeepers transferred to the Residences from ILWU unionized hotels such as the Hyatt Maui (Regency), Westin Maui, and Ritz-Carlton Kapalua to name a few. Knowing the advantages of an ILWU unionized workplace, their first contract was ratified overwhelmingly.
Public Area Attendant Nely Rivera has been an ILWU member for 10 years. She started at the RitzCarlton Kapalua hotel and transferred to the Residences when it first opened and continues to be employed at the Montage Kapalua Bay. Rivera said, “The union contract gave me good wages and benefits, but most important was job security.”
Unit Chairperson and Housekeeper Malia Waring, like Rivera started at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua 10 years ago. She said, “I’m so glad we are union again. It gives us job protection.”
