October 11, 2024
As invited speakers, moderators, exhibitors, and attendees of this year’s Wahine Forum, we have chosen not to attend the event being held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Friday, October 11, 2024. Participating in this event during the ongoing hotel workers’ strike does not align with our commitment to supporting women’s empowerment, collective action, and equity. Many of the impacted employees are women, and their demands for fair wages and better working conditions embody these very principles.
In September, 1,800 workers went on strike at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikīkī, Hawai‘i’s largest hotel and the world’s largest Hilton resort. Hawaiʻi's hotel workforce - housekeepers, front desk agents, restaurant staff, and maintenance workers - predominantly comprises women, Kānaka Maoli, Filipinos, and other immigrants. They are seeking wages that match inflation and living costs, adequate staffing and fair workloads, and the restoration of COVID-era cuts to guest services and amenities.
We value the Wahine Forum as a platform for women in Hawaiʻi to gather, network, and learn from one another while amplifying women’s voices, expertise, and leadership. Our decision not to participate is not a rejection of the Forumʻs intent, but a recognition of the urgent need to align our actions with our commitment to supporting women’s empowerment, collective action, equity, and centering the community’s voice. Many panel topics, such as protecting women’s rights, the power of collective action, turning setbacks into stepping stones, and leading through crises, are profoundly relevant to the current situation. The ongoing hotel worker’s strike, with many of the workers being women, is a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done to promote these principles.
We invite the community to collaborate on efforts that uplift all women's voices and drive institutional change for women and working families in Hawaiʻi. Our focus is on finding solutions that benefit working families and local businesses, and creating an environment that empowers everyone. Together, let’s build a Hawaiʻi that supports workers, families, and a just economy.
To learn more about the hotel workers' strike, go to unitehere5.org. To support paid family leave for all workers in Hawaiʻi, go to paidleavehawaii.org/sign_the_petition.