Workers hope to
create first unionized Starbucks in Hawaii
HONOLULU (AP) — Some workers in the Honolulu suburb of Mililani are aiming to create the first unionized Starbucks in Hawaii.
Organizer Nate Jaramillo is cautiously optimistic, Hawaii Public Radio reported Thursday. But staff at the Mililani Town Center Starbucks won’t know until next week whether they have the votes to unionize.
“People just want to get to the count already, so I have no reason to believe that, you know, the vote would turn out any other way than ‘yes,’ because I think that we have the majority,” Jaramillo said. “But I’m not going to assume that we’ve won.”
The final count is expected to be announced on Monday. Mail ballots were sent out two weeks ago.
Thirteen staff members are eligible to vote. Managers and shift supervisors aren’t allowed to cast ballots.
In a statement, a Starbucks spokesperson wrote that the Seattle-based company is better together without a union, but will respect the rights of employees to organize, as required by the National Labor Relations Board.
The unionization effort began in January when the Town Center store was expected to close for about a week but was ultimately shut for three. Baristas and staff members were temporarily reassigned to nearby stores, and their hours were drastically cut.
At the same time, employees saw national news coverage about a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, where workers voted to form the first unionized store in the chain. Jaramillo reached out to the Starbucks Workers United union to learn more about how they got their start.
Hawaii students face strict COVID rules
for year-end events
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii public schools are enforcing pandemic restrictions that go beyond recommendations from state and federal health officials.
Hawaii is the only state in the nation that still requires universal indoor masks for all public school students and staff. Despite coronavirus rules lifting across the state and nation, some schools are going even further for end-of-year gatherings and celebrations. Principals have the flexibility to add restrictions for proms and graduations
For example, when Oahu’s Kaiser High School holds its prom in Waikiki this weekend, students will be required to wear masks, show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test, and comply with a “no physical contact while dancing” rule, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Thursday. Only a handful of students will be allowed on the dance floor at a time.
All attendees were required to sign a contract that says failure to comply with the rules could cause the event to be shut down.
“We are committed to protecting our school community,” Kaiser Principal Justin Mew said. “We don’t want to be the cause for having it spread into our community.”
Indoor mask rules for the general public in Hawaii ended in March along with quarantine, testing and vaccination rules for travelers.
