Hawaiian Telcom union workers approve a strike

Hawaiian Telcom union workers have voted overwhelmingly to reject the Company’s last best and final offer, and to authorize a strike.

There’s one more step before the union’s negotiating team can call a strike. They’re still waiting for the go-ahead from the International Office.

Now it appears the earliest the workers could walk off the job would be Wednesday.

Scot Long, Business Manager for IBEW Local Union 1357, posted this message on the Union’s website Monday night:

"The votes have been counted and you, the membership, have voted the company’s last best and final proposal down. 513 voted "no" and 85 voted "yes." We ask our members to report to work as usual tomorrow and to remove all your personal items."

The union flew in its leaders from across the state over the weekend for a strike training session.

"Well I’m sure they have their reasons and I hope they don’t because we have a Hawaiian Telcom number and we don’t have any cell phones, so we rely on landline service," said Michael Brown of Manoa.

In an email to a union worker, one of the negotiating team members wrote: "The NO vote will give Scot the ability to call a strike. Having said that we would assume the company would want to go back to the table to further negotiations before we actually do strike."

Hawaiian Telcom offered the union its last best and final offer.

And also "…twice offered to extend to the expired agreement until after the conclusion of APEC events, but the union declined those offers."

Hawaiian Telcom has contingency plans and preparations in place, including for APEC which starts next week.

Some retired Hawaiian Telcom employees are ready to step in, and some management employees will be reassigned if the union workers go on strike.

IBEW 1357 represents about 750 Hawaiian Telcom employees, including the workers who install and repair the phone lines, and the customer service reps.

Sources said on average the union workers make about $30/hour.

But the union leaders say they’re not asking the company for a raise, but rather to keep the workers’ sick leave, health benefits and pension the same.

Hawaiian Telcom said: "The company has made a last, best and final offer that balances all parties’ needs with the realities of competition in the communications business and a challenging economy."

The company exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy a year ago.

Again, the union is waiting for approval from its international office and once the negotiation team gets that, they’ll have the ability to call a strike.