Maui News Dec. 30, 1999
WAILEA -- The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa released a statement Wednesday defending its conduct of negotiations
with the ILWU, which represents 900 resort workers.
The statement from hotel Vice President and General Manager Stephen Ast came after Local 142 of the International
Longshore and Warehouse Union announced a sign-holding rally from 3 to 6 p.m. today outside the hotel. The rally
will be the latest in a series of protests of what the union says were losses of employee benefits.
``The hotel management is extremely disappointed that the ILWU continues to use inaccurate statements in reporting
the status of negotiations,'' Ast said.
Hotel owner KSL Recreation Corp. has made proposals to provide year-end bonuses, increase wages for hundreds of
employees, broaden eligibility for vacation and benefits and maintain fully paid medical, dental, drug and vision
benefits for some employees and their families.
Ast maintained the hotel has offered to meet with the union, but union representatives have not been available
and told the hotel negotiations were ``on call.''
``The hotel is not holding up a settlement,'' he said. ``To engage in a `sign-holding rally' during a critical
guest-service period and to make misleading statements about our proposals, while telling us they were unable to
find time to negotiate, is very frustrating, and, in our opinion, counterproductive to the negotiating process.''
ILWU Local 142 President Eusebio ``Bo'' Lapenia Jr. said negotiations have dragged on too long.
``KSL should stop being `cheap' and return Grand Wailea workers to the wage and benefit levels of other top Maui
hotels,'' Lapenia said.
Ast said Grand Wailea's wages are above those provided by other ILWU contracts.
After KSL acquired the Grand Wailea a year ago, the union was unsuccessful in lobbying for the automatic rehiring
of all employees. Employees needed to reapply for their jobs, and most were rehired.
The union says the employees returned to work with reduced pay, sick-leave, vacation, meal, medical and dental
benefits.