22. Support Workers in Hawai`i's Travel And Visitor Industry

WHEREAS the travel and visitor industry is the State’s largest and most important industry which directly generates approximately one quarter of the State's gross product and approximately one third of the State's jobs and indirectly generates many more jobs; and

WHEREAS the most significant economic benefits of the Hawai`i travel and visitor industry are wages and benefits paid to workers; and

WHEREAS the largest source of tax revenue from the travel and tourism industry is generated by workers’ income tax payments; and

WHEREAS hotels and visitor industry businesses are bought and sold on a regular basis, in good and bad economic times; now therefore,

WHEREAS at the Democratic Party of Hawai`i State Convention, May 2004 a Resolution supporting visitor industry workers was adopted, yet very few Democrats in the State House and Senate have supported this resolution.

BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Hawai`i strongly supports efforts to improve working conditions, wages and benefits of all workers in the State’s travel and visitor industry and urges our Federal, State and County elected officials to consider the impact on workers of any decisions taken with regards to Hawai`i’s travel and visitor industry; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this is not an anti-business resolution, but a promotion of good business by penalizing corporate raiders that do not care about the negative impact on communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Hawai`i advocates protection of the jobs of workers whose employers have changed because of a transfer of ownership or new management of a hotel by preserving their income, benefits and unique local lifestyle; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Hawai`i members of Congress, Democratic members of the Hawai`i State Legislature, the Hawai`i Tourism Authority, the Hawai`i Visitors and Convention Bureau, the County Visitor Bureaus, and the four County Councils, the four Mayors for their consideration and support.