Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi Stands in Solidarity with Hotel Workers on Strike
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Marti Townsend, Chapter Director808-372-1314, marti.townsend@sierraclub.org
Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi Stands in Solidarity with Hotel Workers on Strike
Success of Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry depends on thriving local residents
HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI (October 19, 2017) -- Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi stands in support of the UNITE HERE!/Local 5 members who walked off of the job today at the Ilikai Hotel and Luxury Suites to protest unfair wages and poor working conditions.
“The tourism industry has a moral obligation to share the wealth it gains on the backs of local workers, our unique culture, and our amazing natural beauty,” said Marti Townsend, chapter director of the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi.
The Ilikai Hotel is owned and operated by Aqua-Aston Hospitality, the largest hotel operator in Hawaiʻi. Despite its industry position, Ilikai pays their housekeepers $3.51 less than fellow housekeepers at other Waikiki hotels with smaller rooms. [1] Hawaiʻi ranks among the top in the U.S. for cost of living, rates of homelessness, and housing insecurity among working residents.[2] The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority estimates over 8.6 million people visit our islands annually, spending around $15 billion total. [3]
“To be truly sustainable, Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry must do more to take care of the people and natural resources that contribute so significantly to the industry’s success and wealth,” said Townsend. “Because, obviously, it is all connected and we are all in this together.”
[1] UNITE HERE/Local 5 http://www.unitehere5.org/
[2] Hawaii struggles to deal with rising rate of homelessness, LA Times, Nov. 15, 2015http://beta.latimes.com/
[3] Hawaii Tourism Authority Annual Visitor Research Report 2015http://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/
About the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi: Formed in 1968, the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi has over 20,000 members and supporters working throughout the islands to stop climate change, ensure climate justice for all, and protect Hawaiʻi’s unique natural resources. The Sierra Club is the largest, oldest environmental organization in the U.S. We rely on volunteers to support outdoor education programs, trail and native species restoration projects, and grassroots advocacy for sound environmental policies.###