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July 15, 2008
Occasionally I run into a self-described liberal Democrat, the kind of person who reads the Haleakala Times, who might have donated to Barack Obama, who thinks George Bush is an abomination, you know the type, and they say something shocking. It sounds like this: “Well, I’m a liberal, and you know, and I think the unions were great in the 50’s and 60’s when there was exploitation, and they were fighting for equal rights, but I think they might have outlived their usefulness.” These otherwise clearheaded and left-leaning people reject right-wing talking points when it comes to foreign policy, global warming, and civil liberties, but when it comes to the rights of people to organize and negotiate with their employers, they sound more like Sean Hannity than Sean Penn.
To offer some perspective on the role of unions in Hawaii, consider the current situation at the Pacific Beach Hotel in Waikiki.
For eight years, the workers there went without a raise, so they decided to form a union in 2002. When the ILWU union filed for an election, the management of Pacific Beach actually transferred 20 to 30 workers from another hotel with the same owner, not to do any work at Pacific Beach, but just to vote against unionization. After a series of court decisions finding that Pacific Beach was breaking the law, they’ve done everything they can to prevent these workers from negotiating for a reasonable wage and decent working conditions. They’ve fired 32 people, the majority of whom were the most outspoken advocates for fellow workers. Finally, even after a union was formed, the hotel refused to recognize it or negotiate with it.
So what’s the practical result of all of this? The remaining housekeepers are now required to clean eighteen rooms per day; that’s more than one hotel room every half-hour.
Still not convinced? Ok, let’s try it this way: If you were a housekeeper in Waikiki, would you want union representation?
But the anti-union bias persists in some liberal circles, with some people insisting that they’ve gone too far. And that predictable claim will gain more traction as Hawaii’s economy softens, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.
The average pay in union states in 2006 was around 41 thousand dollars, and in non-union states it was around 36 thousand. Even though research shows higher productivity in union workplaces, people still cling to the myth that organized labor is a drain on the free market. We all reap the personal and societal benefits of the five day work-week, laws against child labor, the minimum wage, paid holidays, and the eight hour day, reforms made possible by organized labor.
Do some unions have their excesses? Of course, just like churches and temples, nonprofit organizations, multinational corporations, and the government. But if I were working cleaning rooms or cutting prime rib, sweeping floors or renovating a parking lot, and I didn’t feel like my employer was treating me fairly, I know exactly who I would call.
Brian Schatz
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