Gas company workers strike in Maui County | News, Sports, Jobs

Publish date: 2024-03-17

Striking Hawaii Teamsters Local 996 members wave signs in front of Hawai‘i Gas Thursday afternoon in Kahului. Union members working for the company went on strike statewide on Thursday, citing issues over wages and benefits. Hawai‘i Gas President and CEO Alicia Moy said that the company has to balance competitive packages for employees with the need to keep prices affordable for customers. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos

KAHULUI — Hawai’i Gas Co. workers exchanged their signature blue jumpsuits for red union T-shirts Thursday as 23 members of the Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers, Local 996 in Maui County walked off the job along with co-workers across the state.

The union collectively represents 217 Hawai’i Gas employees statewide, including on Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Kevin Holu, president of the Hawaii Teamsters & Allied Workers, Local 996, said in a statement that management from Hawai’i Gas “refuses to negotiate in good faith bargaining regarding changes in medical benefits, retirement benefits and living wages.”

“This has been long coming, we have made concessions in the past to help the company and merely want what we deserve,” Holu said. “As difficult as a strike is for everyone, we cannot let corporate greed become the new normal in an already hard-to-survive economy. Unfortunately, as it stands the expense falls on the employees and at a cost that severely lessens their current earnings.”

The unionized workers include those who conduct pipe work as well as delivery and administrative staff, said Ed Akau Jr., field operations manager for the union based on Oahu. Maui union members referred questions to Akau, who was on Maui Thursday.

Union members clad in their red union shirts held signs saying “Human Needs Over Corporate Greed” and “Unfair Labor Practice, Fair Contract Now!” as they lined Hana Highway in front of the Hawai’i Gas Maui office next to Maui Mall Village.

Wearing shirts saying “We are worth more,” union members employed by Hawai‘i Gas stand along the picket line in Kahului on Thursday afternoon.

In a statement on its website, Hawai’i Gas said it “will continue to provide basic gas service to all our customers while we negotiate with the labor union that represents a large segment of our workforce.”

“During this time, responding to requests for service and fulfilling deliveries may be slightly delayed,” the statement said.

Alicia Moy, president and chief executive officer of Hawai’i Gas, said in a statement on Thursday afternoon that she wanted “to reassure the public that all Hawai’i Gas offices and facilities continue to operate.”

Strike contingency plans include deploying 142 non-union employees to maintain operations; the company has a total of 359 employees.

“It is important that the Company’s consistent intent to negotiate and to do so in good faith not be mischaracterized,” Moy said. “We have made great efforts to move the negotiations forward, including offering to have the Parties seek the services of a neutral mediator. To say that the Company’s intentions are anything other than for the Parties to meet and negotiate in good faith would not be reasonable or accurate.”

Moy said the union’s current wage demand on the table is a 28.5 percent salary increase over the three-year contract period. This is down only 1.5 percentage points from its initial opening demand of 30 percent, Moy said.

“We are both hopeful and confident that with negotiations scheduled to resume shortly, we will have the opportunity to move the matter towards an amicable resolution,” she added.

Moy said “it is in our best interest to offer a competitive compensation package to retain our employees, and with energy prices already sky-high, we also have a responsibility to balance those needs with keeping pricing affordable.”

Hawai’i Gas is the only government-franchised, full-service gas company manufacturing and distributing gas in Hawaii. It has approximately 70,000 customers statewide.

Akau said some of the big customers who rely on Hawai’i Gas include large resorts. He said the union had been in touch with hospitality organizations to inform them of the work stoppage. He added that some resorts reported back that they would only use their gas supply for essential needs such as laundry and cooking and not for aesthetic purposes such as for lighting on the resort grounds.

Akau explained that some of the contract issues include the employees paying a much higher share of medical coverage.

“It wasn’t something that was fair,” he said.

In the past, Akau said union members passed up raises in order maintain the medical coverage that they have.

He said the strike comes with “heavy hearts.”

“We know the effect it takes on the community. We want it to be minimized,” he added.

Union members had voted 161-7 in favor of going on strike. Akau said 43 members did not vote.

Hawai’i Gas customers can find updates on the contract talks at www.hawaiigas.com/negotiations.

* Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

Striking Hawaii Teamsters Local 996 members wave signs in front of Hawai‘i Gas Thursday afternoon in Kahului. Union members working for the company went on strike statewide on Thursday, citing issues over wages and benefits. Hawai‘i Gas President and CEO Alicia Moy said that the company has to balance competitive packages for employees with the need to keep prices affordable for customers. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos Wearing shirts saying “We are worth more,” union members employed by Hawai‘i Gas stand along the picket line in Kahului on Thursday afternoon.

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