WAILEA, Maui—On March 23, 2005 new ILWU members at Wailea Golf Resort voted unanimously to accept their first union contract.
Before Wailea Golf ILWU members voted “Yes” for union representation last year, management did not respond to their requests for wage increases or fair treatment. “We were at a crossroads,” said union negotiating committee member Don Kloet. “Several times we sat down individually with management. They talked about giving raises but we never got anything in writing. Finally, we decided we had to take things into our own hands—and felt that becoming union was our only avenue to get what we wanted.”
After winning representation by secret ballot election in June 2004, the members submitted contract proposals centered around fair treatment and getting pay, benefits and contract language comparable to surrounding unionized resort golf courses. The ILWU represents over 400 members at golf courses on Maui, including the courses owned by Kapalua Land Company, Ltd., Wailea Resort Company, Ltd., and Kaanapali Golf Management, as well as The Dunes at Maui Lani, Pukalani Country Club, Grand Waikapu Resort, and Makena Golf at the Maui Prince Hotel.
Tough talks
The union negotiating committee faced many challenges during contract talks. At first, management did not want to match the wages and benefits at golf properties in proximity to Wailea Golf. Management also declined to match the wages and benefits at Wailea’s sister courses— the Mokihana and Kiele courses at Kauai Lagoons—where the ILWU already had a contract in place.
Informed members are key
The members used a postcardwriting campaign to put pressure on management by showing community support for a fair contract at Wailea Golf. Many ILWU members statewide helped by signing postcards. The workers also made sure to present a solid front to management and stood fast in their support of the negotiating committee.
“One of the keys to keeping everyone together was keeping everyone informed about negotiations,” said union committee member Bradley Curtis. “We planned it so that at any point any one of the workers could step into negotiations and pick up the ball and know what was going on. We’re a team and everybody needed to be on the same page— nobody was left in the dark.”
By January 2005, tentative agreements were reached on most of the basic contract language. However, three major issues—wages, back pay and medical plan benefits—were still not settled.
Solidarity on the picket line
The workers again decided to take things into their own hands and initiated informational leafleting and picketing to let golfers know about their efforts to negotiate a fair contract. “The employees wanted to take action,” said Maui Division Director and negotiations spokesperson Willie Kennison. “And once they decided, all of them stuck together. Everyone came out to support their negotiating committee and spent time leafleting.”
The informational picket garnered media coverage and public support. Maui Division officers, organizers, pensioners, and International staff also volunteered on the picket line.
Arnold Palmer speaks out
Wailea Golf’s Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed Gold Course is the home course of the Wendy’s Champions Skins Game, a major tournament on the Champions (formerly Senior) PGA Tour. The workers intensified their leafleting efforts in the weeks prior to the Skins Game, which was scheduled to be held February 5-6, 2005. According to the committee, Arnold Palmer stopped to ask one of the workers why they were leafleting outside the property. When the worker explained that ILWU members were in negotiations and couldn’t get their contract, Palmer replied “We can’t have this.” Shortly afterward, management called the union to say “we got the message” and within two meetings both sides agreed to a tentative agreement.
Bradley Curtis, Gregg Miller, Tony Crislato and Don Kloet were among the Wailea Golf Resort members who participated in informational picketing and leafleting in support of a fair contract.
The contract provides union shop language, significant wage increases, guaranteed porterage fees for large groups (excluding kamaaina), daily overtime, a paid meal period, and much more. “We succeeded because all the members had solidarity,” Kennison said. “The credit belongs to them, and to unit leaders Bradley Curtis and Don Kloet. This is a real success story and these workers should be an inspiration to others who want to organize and get a good contract.”
According to Kloet, “There was an understanding among all the workers that we were in it for the long term. Anything worthwhile, you have to fight for a little longer. We are doing this not just for us, but for future workers at Wailea Golf.” ◆
Union representation means smooth transition at Princeville
PRINCEVILLE, Kauai—FOR SALE. SOLD. UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. These words can bring a lot of stress and worry about your job and future when the company you work for is being sold and will soon come under new management. It can be even more stressful when the company you work for, Princeville Resort, had been owned by the same people for the last 15 years and is the largest and most important employer in the small North shore community of Princeville on Kauai, population 1,698.
But for Princeville workers with an ILWU contract, the change in ownership was eased by skilled union negotiators who represented the workers’ best interests during the transition period.
The union’s goal is to make sure all workers keep their jobs and the new owner agrees to the terms and conditions of the existing union contract. This can be done by negotiating with the current owner to make it a condition of the sale that the buyer hire all workers and accept the union contract. It can also be done by negotiating an agreement that is signed by all three parties— the union, the seller, and the buyer.
When ILWU business agent Michael Machado heard the company was being sold, he moved quickly to make sure ILWU members were protected in the transition. The union has a lot of experience in handling such cases and has learned the best way to protect members is by working out the problems and reaching an agreement with both the current owner and the buyer before the sale is completed.
In this case, the ILWU was successful. The new owners, Princeville Associates, has retained all workers and signed on to the union contract. In addition, Princeville Development has agreed to pay a separation allowance based on years of service to each member as provided by the union contract. ◆
Princeville ILWU members are active in Political Action. Unit members relax at a get-together at Kilauea Park after participating in a north shore house-tohouse canvass for union endorsed candidates. (L-r) Lenny Camat, Lenly Doran, Bart Ovales, Tom Fernandez, Rick Ham Young, Art Mersberg, Danilo Jaquio, and Jaime Obar.