WHY UNIONS ARE GOOD FOR WORKERS—ESPECIALLY IN A CRISIS LIKE COVID-19
12 POLICIES THAT WOULD BOOST WORKER RIGHTS, SAFETY, AND WAGES
By Celine McNicholas, Lynn Rhinehart, Margaret Poydock, Heidi Shierholz, and Daniel Perez
Economic Policy Institute (EPI)
August 25, 2020
<https://www.epi.org/publication/why-unions-are-good-for-workers-especially-in-a-crisis-like-covid-19-12-policies-that-would-boost-worker-rights-safety-and-wages/>
[Extract]
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a reality that U.S. workers have long confronted—U.S.
labor law fails to protect working people. For decades, union leaders and workers' rights
advocates have called on policymakers to reform a badly broken system, warning that the erosion
of unions—and of worker power more broadly—was contributing to extreme economic
inequality and threatening our overall democracy.
In spite of efforts to push policy reforms, the U.S. entered the COVID-19 pandemic with a weak
system of labor protections, historically low rates of union density, and extreme economic
inequality.
Status of collective bargaining rights for STATE and LOCAL PUBLIC WORKERS
Hawaii: Laws provide collective bargaining rights to a majority of public employees
While federal laws provide most private-sector workers and federal government workers with
the right to unionize and bargain collectively, there is as of yet no federal law guaranteeing
that right for state and local government workers like teachers. A patchwork of state laws
provides inconsistent rights for these public workers.
Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees analysis, August 2020
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HAWAII - CHANGE IS A SLOW LAID-BACK PROCESS
KŌ KĀKOU MAU HO`HELE `ANA
STATE OF THE UNIONS
Hawai`i's Workforce is More Unionized than any in the Country and it’s facing challenges
as the Pandemic disrupts Tourism, Government, Shipping and Other Unionized Sectors
By Sterling Higa, HawaiiBusiness Magazine <https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/state-of-the-unions/>
NOVEMBER 4, 2020
Our responsibility is to provide a voice and representation to working people. In our crazy
pandemic world, we've taken on multiple roles. One role is advocating for employee safety.
Another is focusing on economic stability within the community.
Randy Perreira, President, Hawai`i State AFL-CIO

Eric Gill, UNITE 5, Financial Secretary-Treasurer
Message to Governor David Ige and State & County Legislators
Use federal aid money to support workers' health and welfare benefits.
The state should set high standards for employee testing and require staffing levels adequate to
enact hygiene protocols.
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SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
LOCAL 5 RALLIES SUPPORT FOR HEALTHCARE AND HOSPITALITY WORKERS
ON LABOR DAY
By Peter Boylan, Honolulu Star Advertiser
<https://www.staradvertiser.com/2021/09/06/breaking-news/local-5-rallies-support-for-healthcare-and-hospilaity-workers-on-labor-day/>
The union held a virtual celebration and rally today to bring attention to the plight of workers
in the hospitality and healthcare field, many who remain unemployed and those on the job are
having their stamina tested by the surging Delta variant.
The union is asking workers and the public to email Governor David Ige and state lawmakers
and ask them to fund additional unemployment benefits, and release a detailed plan on how
the state will help workers amid the current COVID surge while hotel occupancy drops and
employers use the virus to justify workforce and wage reductions.
LOCAL 5 MEMBERS RALLY TO HIGHLIGHT ONGOING CHALLENGES OF
HEALTHCARE, HOSPITAL WORKERS
By HawaiiNewsNow Staff
<https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com//app/2021/09/07/local-5-members-rally-highlight-ongoing-challenges-healthcare-hospital-workers/>
About two dozen hospitality and healthcare workers workers rallied in Honolulu Monday to
bring attention to the struggles of Hawaii's workforce.
Organized by UNITE HERE Local 5, the sign waving event took place outside of the Kaiser
location at King Street and Pensacola.
Workers say since the start of the pandemic, jobs have been cut and they're feeling
overworked. They're calling on Hawaii’s lawmakers to address the issue by funding more
unemployment benefits after federal payments expired this weekend.

EMAIL OUR STATE LEADERS: WHAT’S YOUR PLAN TO HELP WORKERS?
UNITE HERE, Local 5 - September 6, 2021
Labor Day is supposed to commemorate workers and the American labor movement. Yet
on this day, PEUC benefits will expire for thousands of Hawaii workers who are still
furloughed and will now receive hundreds of dollars less per week from unemployment.
The State of Hawaii knew these benefits would expire. They also allowed the eviction
moratorium to expire. What is the state's plan to help workers?
As COVID cases spike and hotel occupancy drops, many workers are back on
unemployment. Many more have not been called back to work since March 2020.
Employers have done little to take care of their workers since the start of the pandemic.
In the hospitality industry, only 67% of Local 5 members are back to work. The hotel
industry is cutting guest services so that fewer workers return to work.
In the healthcare industry, Kaiser Permanente is proposing a destructive wage system and
ignoring short staffing issues, after announcing earlier this year that they are outsourcing
dozens of local jobs to the mainland and attempting to shut down departments in Wailuku
clinic last year.
Fill out the form below to send an email to Governor David Ige, Speaker of the House
Scott Saiki, and Senate President Ron Kouchi. Tell them: fund additional unemployment
benefits, and release a detailed plan on how the State will take care of workers—
especially as COVID cases increase, hotel occupancy plummets, and employers use the
pandemic to cut jobs.
Link To Email
<https://www.unitehere5.org/email-our-state-leaders-whats-your-plan-to-help-workers/>