Hawaii's largest human resources organization says demand for office and technical workers has picked up significantly on all islands.
ALTRES Office/Professional and ALTRES Technical, divisions of ALTRES Staffing, Hawaii’s largest human resources organization, announced today a significant spike in demand for office and technical professionals across all islands. While the state continues to experience unemployment rates at record lows, Hawaii’s available workforce is thinning out. ALTRES is looking to fill nearly 140 positions on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.
“Gone are the days of the overabundance of candidates we experienced during the 2008 to 2010 recession,” said Manager Emy Yamauchi-Wong, CSP of ALTRES Staffing. “It is a great time for those who already have a job and may not be actively looking to explore and see what else is out there. If you’re feeling stifled at your current job or seeking change, now is the time to do it.”
According to the Hawaii State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2014 was 4.0 percent, compared to the national unemployment rate of 5.6 percent.
For a full list of available positions, visit www.ALTRES.com.
The Graduate Student Organization at the University of Hawaii at Manoa has released its list of priority bills for this legislative session for students to testify on.
A brief rundown on three bills that would alleviate some of the unnecessary hardship inflicted upon our houseless citizens by city ordinances that target them unjustly.
The upgrade to the Human Resources Management System includes a backup and disaster recovery capability in the new Hawaii Government Private Cloud (GPC).
Workers receive raise, increased healthcare funding from hotel.
Waikoloa Village – 99 percent of union hotel workers at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort voted yes to ratify a new contract that will improve the lives of 288 workers and their families.
Under the terms of the new, two-year contract, non-tipped workers at the Waikoloa Marriott will receive wage increases of $1.67 per hour for two years, with full back pay to July 1, 2014. This is $0.27 more than the first two years of the current industry standard five-year contract, thereby narrowing the gap between Waikoloa and Waikiki hotel wages. Hotel management has also agreed to increase its contribution to the health & welfare fund, which funds the medical and pension benefits of union workers.
“This is a much needed wage increase for us,” says Peter Fukuyama, who has worked in the engineering department at Waikoloa Marriott for 10 years, “This also helps secure our medical and pension benefits.”
“It’s a step in the right direction so that we can catch up to the union standard that other Local 5 hotels have. We can achieve this if we all continue to stand together,” says Oren Yamagata, a bell captain who has worked at Waikoloa Marriott for 33 years.
Waikoloa Beach Marriott was recently purchased by SMG I Hotel Waikoloa LLC, a joint venture between mainland hotel investment firms Silverwest Hotel Partners LLC, Mariner Real Estate Management, and an affiliate of Global Endowment Management. Marriott will continue to manage the hotel. The ownership change will not affect Local 5 members at Waikoloa Marriott, who will continue their employment with Marriott.
Would ban law enforcement officers from consuming alcohol while carrying a gun, even if off-duty
HB1129 seeks to prohibit law enforcement officers from consuming any amount of alcohol while in the possession of a firearm. The measure came as a result of a tragic incident, in which Christopher Deedy, a U.S. State Department special agent, in Hawaii to provide security for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, fatally shot Kollin Elderts in the Kuhio Avenue McDonald’s restaurant in the early morning of Nov. 5, 2011. He was off duty at the time.
The measure was introduced by Rep. Kaniela Ing (Kihei, Wailea, Makena) at the request of the Elderts’ family.
“While no legislation can heal the pain that the Elderts’ family has endured, we need to take action to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future,” Ing said during a press conference held at the Capitol last Friday to call attention to the bill. “No matter where you stand on the Deedy trial, we can all recognize the dangers of carrying a firearm while intoxicated. This is a common sense bill that will save lives.”
Governor David Ige has announced the nomination of two deputy directors to his cabinet, subject to confirmation by the Senate:
Joseph Kim has been nominated to be the Deputy Director at the Department of Taxation where he will, “redeploy his extensive experience in training and commanding U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard personnel into effective administration of the tax laws for the state,” according to the governor’s office. Brigadier General Kim has served as the Deputy Adjutant General, Deputy Commander, Hawaii National Guard since 2011; Kim ran the day-to-day operations for the State Department of Defense.
Prior to that, he commanded the Air National Guard’s largest Wing, a combat ready 1900 person flying organization consisting of three major flying systems and associated support organizations, supporting over 2,500 personnel. He has trained military pilots and aircrews in various locations throughout the United States.
Kim earned an MBA at the City University of Seattle and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Mechanics.
“I’m glad that General Kim has agreed to continue to serve the State of Hawaii,” said Governor David Ige. “I’m confident that he will be able to translate his outstanding military record into exceptional results at the Department of Taxation.”
Keith Yamamoto, meanwhile, has been appointed to remain in his current position as the First Deputy Director of the Department of Health, a post he has held since March 2011. He is primarily responsible for overseeing the general administration of the department which includes budget, fiscal, facilities management, human resources, information technology, planning, vital records as well as the District Health Offices on the neighbor islands.
Prior to his appointment as First Deputy Director, Yamamoto was the Chief of the Department of Health-Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division; he worked for the Department of Human Services – Office of Youth Services as the Program Development Administrator; and has also managed various school-based vocational education and career development programs for at-risk youth while employed with the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Yamamoto received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Services from the University of Northern Colorado, and graduated from Pearl City High School.
“Keith Yamamoto has been a valuable leader within the Department of Health,” said Governor David Ige. “He is well respected and has shown he has the skills to move the department forward. I’m pleased that he will be continuing to provide his steady hand to this administration.”
The State Ethics Commission has found that David Arakawa, lobbyist for the Land Use Research Foundation, failed to file nine lobbying disclosures. Here’s the commission’s report.
Governor Ige's latest DLNR leadership move is a serious blow to advocates for resource protection and the ethical and legal use of water and a boon for development interests.