Aikea rallies against condo conversion
The job preservation movement, organized by Unite Here Local 5, rallied at Honolulu Hale today in support of City Bill 16.
“Aikea Movement is people coming together to make sure our futures are taken care of, and not the big developers,” said Joli Tokusato, a 23-year employee of the Ilikai Hotel and organizer for Unite Here Local 5. “We used to have 500 workers at the Ilikai and now we’re down to 60 because of condo conversion.”
According to Tokusato, many of her friends (who were also at the rally) have already lost their jobs at the Ilikai.
“I moved here from the Philippines three years ago,” said Meynard Duyao, a worker at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. “My job is what is putting me through school so I can follow my dream of becoming a registered nurse. I feel it is important for me to be here to support other hotel workers who are losing their jobs because of [condo conversion]. My job could be next.”
The rally managed to pull over 1,000 supporters to the intersection of King and Punchbowl, outside City Hall, where Bill 16 is moving through the City Council.
The bill, which was introduced by council members Ron Menor, Joey Manahan and Stanley Chang (who was at the rally in person), passed its first reading on Wednesday with a vote of 9-0 and aims to preserve hotel jobs by requiring hotel owners to obtain a permit if they plan to convert 20 percent or more of their hotel rooms into condominiums. It also requires that employees be notified if units are to be converted, and requires that employees be retained for a 90-day period before layoff. In the event of layoffs, those employees are to be put on a preferential rehire list.
“This is the first step,” said Tokusato. “Bill 16 won’t solve everything, but it’s a big step forward. Making sure the politicians are taking care of us. That’s why I’m here; that’s what we want. We urge the City Council to pass this bill.”
The industry trend over the past decade has been for hotel owners to convert units to condos that are then sold at Hawaii’s high market rates, making money for the owners, but costing jobs and economic growth in the process.
This has been, at least partially, responsible for the loss of over 8,000 hotel units statewide, including 5,000 units in Waikiki alone, over the past 10 years.
Earlier this week, by a 292-0 unanimous vote, Unite Here Local 5 workers at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki hotel ratified a new local contract, resolving a longstanding dispute that began in 2010.